(The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Vikings' Everson Griffen to remain away from team this week, Mike Zimmer says
Danielle Hunter, Stephen Weatherly and rookie Jalyn Holmes are the Vikings' three available defensive ends for the time being.
October 17, 2018 at 6:27PM
Everson Griffen will miss his fifth game this Sunday when the Vikings travel to New York to play the Jets, according to head coach Mike Zimmer.
Griffen remains away from the team this week while tending to his mental health following the two police incidents on Sept. 22 and previous weeks of concern from friends and family, according to a Minnetrista police report.
The Vikings continue preparation Wednesday for the Jets while Griffen remains on the 53-man roster. When asked last week if the Vikings expect Griffen to return this season, Zimmer only refuted an ESPN report claiming the team didn't expect him back "anytime soon."
Danielle Hunter, Stephen Weatherly, Tashawn Bower and rookie Jalyn Holmes are the Vikings' four available defensive ends for the time being.
"I think Danielle could play a million plays if he wanted to," Zimmer said Wednesday. "He's 22 or something and he's built like Adonis."
Griffen, 30, had appeared in 127 of 134 games into his ninth NFL season this fall before this current five-game absence to address his mental well-being.
Mike Conley was in Minneapolis, where he sounded the Gjallarhorn at the Vikings game, on Sunday during the robbery.
