Everson Griffen will remain with Minnesota Vikings after all.
Minnesota struck a deal with the defensive end at a reduced rate just in time to keep him on the team, a source told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. Griffen will earn around $8 million in 2019 as part of his new deal, a $3 million pay cut, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported.
The defensive lineman was owed $10.9 million in 2019 before the restructure, all of which was set to be guaranteed on Thursday at 4 p.m. ET. Griffen reportedly signed the new deal with minutes to spare.
The 31-year-old Griffen, who has four years remaining on an extension signed in 2017, was thought to be a cut candidate after the Vikings re-signed linebacker Anthony Barr to a monster five-year, $67.5 million deal earlier this week. It's currently unclear if the rest of Griffen's contract, which runs through 2022, will stay the same.
A consistent producer along Minnesota's defensive line over the last nine years, Griffen missed five games in 2018 for non-football related reasons. The veteran sat out five weeks at the beginning of the year to battle a serious mental-health related issue. He returned in Week 8, finishing the season strong with 5.5 sacks, 13 QB hits and 33 total tackles.
Griffen will re-join in 2019 a still stellar Vikings front seven, boasting Barr, Eric Kendricks, Danielle Hunter, Linval Joseph and Shamar Stephen. Minnesota's one defensive casualty in free agency, Sheldon Richardson, was there for just one season.
