Minnesota Gets a Bargain With Everson Griffen’s Contract

K. Joudry |

Aug 27, 2021

Jun 17, 2014; Eden Prairie, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen (97) talks with a teammate at practice at Winter Park. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Perhaps the most exciting purple news from the week was the Everson Griffen signing.

Initially, the contract details weren’t known, but the safe money (pun intended) was on a modest deal. Even still, it’s at least somewhat surprising to see Griffen making so little:

Everson Griffen's 1-year deal w/ the Vikings comes with a veteran minimum salary benefit. His base salary is $1.075 million and comes with an $850,000 cap charge. He has a split in his contract, so if he gets placed on injured reserve at any time his base drops to $565,000.
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) August 26, 2021

Shortly thereafter, Cronin provides further clarity on the Griffen deal, explaining that the cap charge for getting placed on the IR would actually be a mere $465,000. The good people at Over the Cap have already put Griffen’s deal into their Minnesota Vikings salary cap page. Things are basically what they were before. Our Vikings still have just under $13.5 million in cap space at the moment, so one could reasonably ask whether Spielman has any more tricks up his sleeve.

Griffen’s addition helps further bolster a defensive line that has the capacity to dominant. If everything comes together (admittedly, there’s a lot riding on that word “if”), Minnesota will have a ferocious d-line rotation.