Vikes DE fighting mental-health issue
The Vikings were concerned enough about defensive end Everson Griffen’s state of mind last week that they barred him from practice until he had a mentalhealth evaluation.
After a scary series of incidents Saturday, Griffen remained away from the team Tuesday and out of action indefinitely. Coach Mike Zimmer said Griffen wouldn’t travel with the team to play the Rams on Thursday in Los Angeles.
‘‘The only thing we really are concerned about for Everson isn’t anything to do with football; it’s about him getting better,’’ Zimmer said. ‘‘In the five years that I’ve been here, I’ve always loved Everson and the effort that he puts out, the work that he does, the chance to count on him in game time and even in practice. He’s always been a really, really good model for us, and he’s going through some tough times now.”
Griffen already was going to miss the Vikings’ game Sunday against the Bills because of a nagging issue with his knee, but he was in no condition to play even without the injury.
According to police in Minnetrista, the Minneapolis suburb where he lives, Griffen was making comments about people trying to kill him. He eventually was taken by ambulance to an area hospital for his well-being despite jumping out of the vehicle at one point during a brief stop for crossing deer. He never was arrested or suspected of committing any crimes.
‘‘I just hope for the best for him,’’ Zimmer said. ‘‘In the long run, he’s a really good kid.’’
Rams’ Talib needs ankle surgery
Rams cornerback Aqib Talib will have surgery Thursday to repair an ankle injury suffered Sunday against the Chargers. Coach Sean McVay said a timetable for Talib’s return won’t be known until after the surgery, but multiple reports indicated he will be out at least a month.
Talib has six tackles, two passes defended and one forced fumble in three games this season, helping the Rams limit opponents to 199 yards passing per game. The Rams acquired Talib in a trade with the Broncos in the offseason.
McVay said Marcus Peters, the Rams’ other starting cornerback, is day-to-day with a calf injury and likely will be a game-day decision Thursday against the Vikings.
Saints lose CB Robinson
Multiple outlets reported the Saints’ struggling pass defense took another hit with the news that nickel cornerback Patrick Robinson is expected to miss the rest of the season with a broken left ankle suffered Sunday against the Redskins. He is scheduled to have surgery Wednesday.
The Saints have struggled mightily against the pass this season. They have allowed a passer rating of 141.7, 20 points higher than any other defense in the NFL.
Panthers-Bills trade
The Panthers addressed their injury-depleted offensive line by acquiring nine-year veteran Marshall Newhouse in a trade with the Bills for a conditional draft pick.
The Bills then filled Newhouse’s spot by signing offensive lineman Jeremiah Sirles to a one-year contract. Sirles, who was cut by the Panthers three weeks ago, has three seasons of NFL experience, including starting 28 games with the Vikings in 2016 and 2017.