Vikings tell DE Everson Griffen to get mental health evaluation

The Minnesota Vikings reportedly sent defensive end Everson Griffen a letter last week saying Griffen could not return to the team until he had a mental health evaluation.

This is according to a police incident report obtained by ESPN's Courtney Cronin.

Griffen has been dealing with a mental health-related issue for the last few weeks and currently is being evaluated at a hospital, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported

Vikings' executive director of player development Les Pico told police in Minnetrista, Minn., that the team had sent Griffen and his agent the letter on Thursday, informing him he could not return until receiving an evaluation.

That letter was sent two days before an alleged incident involving Griffen at a Minneapolis hotel.

Pico was scheduled to meet with Griffen on Saturday at Hotel Ivy, according to police. In a separate incident report obtained by ESPN, the Minneapolis Police Department was called Saturday to Hotel Ivy because an individual was threatening to shoot someone if he wasn't allowed in his room. Sources told Cronin that the person in question at the hotel was Griffen.

After that incident, Griffen allegedly tried to break into the home of Vikings teammate Trae Waynes.

Griffen played in the Vikings' first two games and had half a sack in each game, but Pelissero reported that the situation became "unmanageable" last week, and he did not play against the Buffalo Bills.

According to the incident report, Pico told police before the incident at the hotel that Griffen had been "explosive, screaming and yelling" at the team facility.

Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said Monday night in a statement that the team was "currently focused on Everson's well-being and providing the appropriate support for him and his family."

Head coach Mike Zimmer referred to Spielman's statement before saying on Tuesday, "The only thing I'm really concerned about has nothing to do with football."

"He's always been a really, really good model for us, and obviously he's going through some tough times right now," the coach added.

Griffen signed a four-year, $58 million contract extension with the Vikings in 2017.

He has been named to the Pro Bowl each of the past three years and has 62 career sacks.