Newly-reacquired Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen expressed his regret Monday for comments he made about quarterback Kirk Cousins last year, and said he would apologize to Cousins “man-to-man.”
Griffen said that “Kirk [C]ousins is a**” on Twitter in January, having spent the 2020 season playing for the Dallas Cowboys and the division rival Detroit Lions. He also said that Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer didn’t want to coach Cousins in the first place. The tweets were deleted soon afterwards, and he apologized to the Vikings organization soon afterward.
Long time #Vikings Everson Griffen has some thoughts on Kirk Cousins. pic.twitter.com/VwYKNGBEie
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 10, 2021
In an interview with the Twin Cities Pioneer Press, Griffen said he had already apologized to General Manager Rick Spielman and Zimmer, and will also apologize to Cousins.
“I’ve still got to talk to Kirk and apologize to him about that,” he said. “I’m just going to talk to Kirk and apologize to him and have a man-to-man conversation.”
Griffen, 33, reunited with the Vikings on Monday. He played in Minnesota for 10 seasons before signing with Dallas last season. The terms of his contract were not disclosed. Zimmer said that the Vikings would use Griffen mostly as a situational pass rusher.
Griffen was grateful to be reunited with his old team. “I left because I thought the grass was greener on the other side,” he told the Pioneer Press. “Going to Dallas, going to Detroit, the grass wasn’t greener. I didn’t get the love that I got here with the fans, with the coaches, with the players… I’m back home, and I’m happy to be home.”