Everson Griffen, Vikings Agree to New Contract Worth Reported $8 Million

Everson Griffen will remain with the Minnesota Vikings after the two sides agreed to a new contract on Thursday. The team confirmed the restructured deal on its official Twitter account.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network provided more details on the new deal:

The defensive end was set to have his $10.9 million salary become guaranteed Friday, but the team decided on a new deal to keep him on the roster.

If he was released, the Vikings would have saved $10.5 million toward the 2019 cap, per Spotrac.

The 31-year-old missed more than a month of the season while stepping away for his mental health. He was effective when he was on the field, however, starting 10 of his 11 games played while totaling 5.5 sacks, second-most on the team.

This comes after a run of three straight Pro Bowl selections as one of the most important players on the Vikings defense.

Griffen has spent nine years with Minnesota, reaching double-digit sacks three times. This includes 13 sacks in 2017, when he was named second-team All-Pro by the Associated Press.

His play was enough to earn a four-year extension worth $58 million, but his circumstances have clearly changed.

Still, keeping him on the roster was key for a team with Super Bowl expectations in 2019. 

Minnesota had the No. 1 scoring defense in 2017 but ranked just No. 9 in 2018 as the team missed the playoffs. A full year of Griffen playing at his best could help the squad get back to its expected level next year.