Former Minnesota Vikings star Everson Griffen was reportedly removed from a Delta flight just minutes after takeoff.
Griffen, 37, was on a Delta flight bound for Chicago from Minneapolis on Wednesday, July 16, when he caused a scene, according to TMZ.
The plane returned to O’Hare International Airport shortly after it left the ground so Griffen could be escorted off.
A Delta spokesperson confirmed that a passenger had been removed from the plane for “unruly behavior,” but stopped short of revealing the individual’s identity for privacy and legal considerations.
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“Delta has zero tolerance for unruly behavior and will always work with law enforcement to that end,” the spokesperson told Us Weekly. “We apologize to our customers for the delay in their travel as safety and security comes before everything else at Delta.”
Griffen, who was a four-time Pro Bowl defensive end with the Vikings from 2010 to 2019, posted a video of his vehicle pulling up to the airport via his Instagram Story on Wednesday afternoon.
“We out Chicago!!! It’s up, it better be!!!” he wrote.
Griffen also completed brief stints with the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions before returning for one final season with the Vikings in 2021.
In November 2021, he was placed on the non-football illness list to deal with mental health issues five days after a game against the Green Bay Packers, which would mark his final NFL appearance.
Days later, Griffen took to Instagram to announce that he was “bipolar.”
“I will embrace it and I will be an advocate for mental health,” he wrote. “I been running from it a long time. I’m not ashamed of it anymore. It all started when my mother passed away. Went into a dark place, thought I was great for many years.”
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In May 2024, Griffen was arrested for DWI and cocaine possession, his second DWI arrest in a year. In his plea deal following the second offense, Griffen had his driver’s license revoked and was ordered to commit no alcohol-related or careless driving offenses.
Griffen broke his silence about the arrest on social media in June 2024, again referencing his bipolar diagnosis.
“I take my meds every single god damn day,” he wrote via X. “I made a very common mistake. Thinking you can get away with anything. But what you do in dark will come to light.”
Griffen added, “You will have hard times, the most incredible thing you can do is listen to people that love you the most. Don’t be selfish be selfless. Don’t run for love f***ing enjoy it. Flat out just be a genuine person.”
