Former Minnesota defensive end Everson Griffen was charged with not driving with an ignition interlock, the latest vehicle charge he has faced in recent years.
Griffen was reportedly pulled over in Winona Thursday night, around 8:12 p.m., after reportedly driving 62 mph in a 40 mph zone on Riverview Drive.
According to court records, Griffen was using a vehicle without an ignition interlock, a breathalizer device that will prevent a car from starting unless a driver blows a 0.0.
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Upon reviewing Griffen’s driving record, police found that he had a license restriction that prevented him from operating a vehicle without the ignition interlock installed.
He was taken into custody and charged with a misdemeanor for the incident and is currently awaiting trial.
Griffen has had multiple run-ins with law enforcement regarding his driving.
He was initially arrested in 2023, accused of driving while intoxicated, but later pled guilty in November 2024 to reckless driving, which dismissed the DWI charges.
However, in July of 2025, Griffen was accused of violating his probation after he reportedly failed to abstain from alcohol or drugs and failed to comply with random drug testing. He was cited later that same year in November after he reportedly was driving 130 mph in a 60mph zone on Interstate I-494 in Minnetonka.
Griffen spent 10 seasons with the Vikings from 2010-19, appearing in 147 games, 88 of which were starts.
Over the course of his tenure with the Vikings, he recorded 86 tackles for loss and 74.5 sacks, which rank third and fourth in franchise history. He signed with the Dallas Cowboys in 2020, was traded to the Detroit Lions later that year, then re-signed with the Vikings in 2021, after which he ended his playing career.
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