Everson Griffen played 170 games in the NFL, including 156 with the Minnesota Vikings, and became a fan favorite during his 12-year career. Since his playing days ended in 2021, however, the former Pro Bowl edge rusher has struggled to steer clear of the law .
Now 38 years old and having dealt with several legal issues in retirement, Griffen was again in the news for the wrong reasons Friday morning. He was arrested in Winona on Thursday night after a traffic stop.
According to public records, Griffen was booked into the Winona County Jail shortly after 9 p.m. Thursday. The listed charge alleges that he drove a vehicle without the ignition-interlock device required by his restricted license.
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Winona County Sheriff's Office
Rochester's KROC reports , "Griffen was stopped for speeding on Riverview Dr. in Winona shortly after 8:12 p.m. An officer clocked the 38-year-old traveling 62 mph in the 40 mph zone, according to the Winona Police Department."
Police then determined that Griffen's vehicle did not have the required ignition-interlock device.
Griffen remains on a four-year term of supervised probation after pleading guilty to third-degree DWI in Hennepin County in November 2024. Last August, he was also cited for misdemeanor reckless driving and petty-misdemeanor speeding after police alleged he drove 130 mph in a 60 mph zone on Interstate 494.
There is no mention of anything drug- or alcohol-related in Thursday's booking record, despite his previous struggles with both. This simply looks like an instance in which he was stopped for speeding while driving a vehicle that did not have the ignition-interlock device required by his restricted license.
Two weeks before his latest arrest, Griffen posted on Instagram about beginning a "brand-new chapter" and rebuilding his health, body and mind. He's an Arizona native but has remained in Minnesota since his playing career ended.
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