Everson Griffen Incident

[RpMc]

If he goes on the reserve NFI, I guess I could see them trying to dip in, but if he's on the active NFI, they can't sign a replacement anyway. I'm also not sure I would compare Harris to Griffen given that Harris' was pretty much career ending and he's not the cornerstone that Griff is. Maybe that's overly sentimental of me, though.

[wcblack34]

I hope that Griffen gets the help he needs. I believe he may have played his last in the NFL, although I hope that's not the case. He should focus solely on his long-term mental health now. 

 

As to the effect this has on the team, this seems like one of those events that happens in a season that sends everything off the rails. This will be a true test of the coaching and the team culture. This team has already been through a lot this season with Sparano and now Everson. It feels they're at a crossroads where they could wind up 12-4 or 4-12.

[vike daddy]

A Minneapolis-St. Paul TV station pulled its erroneous report on Everson Griffen on Monday night, and cornerback Trae Waynes has released a statement clarifying that he did not feel threatened by the Vikings defensive end.

Waynes: “To clarify, there was no attempted break-in at our home, and at no point did my family or I feel unsafe. We are friends with the Griffen family, and we are here to support them in any way possible during these trying times.”

Griffen’s wife twice called police about Griffen’s erratic behavior Saturday, including once to report Griffen was trying to get into Waynes’ home. Griffen had jumped through bushes and was shirtless, according to the Star Tribune.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/09/25/trae-waynes-said-he-never-felt-threatened-by-everson-griffens-erratic-behavior/

[JDBrocks]

If this is isolated to a mental health issue and substance abuse isn’t playing a role here, I think he’ll be back on the field this year. 

Its very possible that he either stopped taking medication or that his balance has changed. It will take time to get him back on track, but properly managed he can come back to being the player that he was before. I have no doubt that the team knows and has known about whatever his condition is and will continue to help him.

[SemperFeist]

 

[milanb]

1 hour ago, JDBrocks said:

If this is isolated to a mental health issue and substance abuse isn’t playing a role here, I think he’ll be back on the field this year. 

Its very possible that he either stopped taking medication or that his balance has changed. It will take time to get him back on track, but properly managed he can come back to being the player that he was before. I have no doubt that the team knows and has known about whatever his condition is and will continue to help him.

It could also be a case where took something for his injured knee, and it interacted with some other medication he was taking. But who knows?

[Vikes_Bolts1228]

52 minutes ago, milanb said:

It could also be a case where took something for his injured knee, and it interacted with some other medication he was taking. But who knows?

Unrelated (kinda) but a friend of mine took medication for some inflammation in her elbow....it interacted with her birth control and she got knocked up.

It's a very real thing.

[KFP7]

Mental illnesses are terrifying since we still struggle to diagnose and treat them correctly.  I sincerely hope Griffen can get back to the field but at a minimum hope he can get back to normal outside of it.  He's always seemed like a fun guy to be around (unless your lined up on the opposite side of him before the snap of course).  You guys are spot on with this being far greater than football - get well soon Griffen.

[JDBrocks]

If you read the police reports his wife says something to the effect of Everson "battling demons"  and having to leave to clear his head being a pretty frequent occurrence. What I get from that is that he has a really solid support structure with his family, agent, and employer, and that they are doing their best to give him the help that he needs. I think that Zimmer's comments today reflect that as well.

[RpMc]

Organizationally, off of the football field, i think we definitely have a great franchise that's a sharp departure from when a Viking would pop up in a police report every other week.

[mitty18]

http://www.fox9.com/sports/vikings-everson-griffen-minnetrista-police-incident

 

found this today

[HitStickAllDay]

Unfortunately, that reads like a psychotic break and schizophrenia. That he had been up for long periods of time also speaks to bi-polar. For his sake I hope it it bi-polar as that is far easier to manage than schizophrenia. Whatever the case, I hope he gets the help he needs and it sounds like people are helping him the best they can.

[CriminalMind]

I wonder if it's a matter of his meds needing to be recalibrated, if this is something he has been dealing with previously.

[Guest]

On ‎9‎/‎26‎/‎2018 at 9:40 AM, RpMc said:

Organizationally, off of the football field, i think we definitely have a great franchise that's a sharp departure from when a Viking would pop up in a police report every other week.

I must say, the Vikings have hit every mark so far in responding to this situation (at least in press accounts.)  If it's a schizoid-affective disorder, then there is great likelihood that he was diagnosed sometime ago.  It usually manifests in the late teen to the early or mid twenties.  If this is the diagnosis then either his medications are no longer effective or he just stopped taking them...which happens frequently with persons with that disorder. Bi-Polar medications can also lose effectiveness.  Whatever the diagnosis, if the behaviors are correctly reported in the media, Everson appears to have had a textbook psychotic episode.

At the risk of sounding political, as I have worked in the healthcare industry for the last 18 years, mental health access and treatment needs to be a major priority for all Americans.  Health Insurance does not reimburse for behavioral health treatments at the same level as most physical conditions.  There is a tremendous shortage of behavioral health professionals in this country.  Finally, except for antidepressants, pharmaceutical companies do very little research and development into new medications for mental health conditions.  There needs to be political pressure placed on lawmakers at all levels focused on the healthcare industry to do more to create access and treatment options in behavioral health.  Presently, the number one providers for mental health treatment in every state in this country, are the jails and prisons. 

[VikeManDan]

3 hours ago, CriminalMind said:

I wonder if it's a matter of his meds needing to be recalibrated, if this is something he has been dealing with previously.

From the article @mitty18 quoted above.

"Tiffany told police “she didn't know what to do” and that she wants him to get help. She said Everson is not on any medication “but should be,” adding that he “hasn't slept in days” and thinks he is delusional because of the lack of sleep. Tiffany said there hasn't been any comments about wanting to harm himself or others."