Everson Griffen apologizes to teammates, vows to resolve 'personal issues'

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 09: Everson Griffen #97 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates after sacking Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)

Minnesota Vikings player Everson Griffen broke his silence Thursday after an incident last weekend. 

On Sept. 22, Griffen, 30, was taken to a local hospital in protective custody for an evaluation following incidents at the Hotel Ivy in downtown Minneapolis and in Minnetrista. According to a police report, Vikings staff were concerned for him and thought he might be having a “nervous breakdown.” Already out on an injury, Griffen was told not to play in Sunday’s game against Buffalo and was not present at the stadium.  

Thursday night, before the Vikings took on the Rams in Los Angeles, Griffen posted the following on Instagram:

This past week's events have raised many questions and I want to apologize to everyone who was impacted. I am currently focused on resolving personal issues with which I have been dealing for a long time. Once I have had time to address those issues, I hope to share my story with everyone. 

I am extremely grateful for the support I have received from my family, the Vikings organization, my teammates and our tremendous fan base. 

I apologize for not being able to take the field with my teammates and do not have an exact timeline for my return. I promise, however, I will return as a much-improved person and player.