Vikings captain Griffen returns to team activities

EAGAN, Minn. — Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen is returning to the team after being out for the past month for a mental health evaluation.



The Vikings say Griffen will resume team activities Wednesday. They didn't say when he would return to game action.

Griffen, a three-time Pro Bowler, left the team in late September after a series of events that included a welfare check at a hospital. A police report described erratic behavior that included a threat of violence at a downtown Minneapolis hotel and a text message to his wife referencing suicide.

General manager Rick Spielman said Griffen's return comes in consultation with his doctors.

In a statement, Griffen called a return "the next step in a longer process" and said he hopes to eventually talk publicly about his issue.