MINNEAPOLIS - Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen made his first public statement since stepping away from the team to deal with what he calls "personal issues."
Griffen's recent off-the-field struggles were thrust into the public eye after he made threats at a Minneapolis hotel over the weekend, leading to the involvement of local authorities.
In a statement on his Instagram page, he wrote, "This past week's events have raised many questions and I want to apologize to everyone who was impacted."
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Griffen missed Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Rams to continue healing and made the promise to someday "return as a much-improved person and player."
According to NFL Network, Griffen completed a mental health evaluation on Thursday.
At this point no timeline has been set for Griffen's return, and coach Mike Zimmer emphasized at a press conference Tuesday the defensive end's current situation has nothing to do with football, and is all about "getting him better."
Griffen also thanked his family, the Vikings organization, his teammates and Minnesota fans for their support.
