Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen declared his bothersome shoulder 100 percent.
The news comes ahead of players reporting for spring drills on Friday. As it turns out, the 28-year-old pass rushing defensive end didn’t need surgery on the shoulder.
“My shoulder is back to 100 (percent),” he told the Pioneer Press on Friday. “I’m good to go. I’m good to be able to go lift weights.”
#Vikings DE Everson Griffen said his bum shoulder has fully healed and he's primed to have All-Pro season. Story at https://t.co/Iv2nUjwF11
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) April 15, 2016
The injury bothered Griffen down the stretch last season. Coach Mike Zimmer initially said after the playoff loss to Seattle that he thought Griffen may need surgery to repair a torn labrum.
Pro Football Talk notes that Griffen visited with renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews, who didn’t recommend surgery. Griffen adds that it wasn’t a torn labrum either.
“No it wasn’t a torn labrum,” Griffen said. “It was just an injury to my shoulder. I’m not going to get into details with all that, but I just had a lot of symptoms going on in my shoulder that had to heal up the proper way, and the only way you heal up is with time, and I had to rehab and rest it.”
Griffen has 22.5 sacks over the last two years. He was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2015 after the Vikings went 11-5 and won the NFC North Division.
With his shoulder feeling good, Griffen has set his goals pretty high for 2016. He is aiming to become an All-Pro at defensive end.
That accomplishment would put him among the elite Vikings at the position, including Carl Eller, Chris Doleman and Jared Allen.
