Police called to Griffen’s home
The Minnesota Vikings said defensive end Everson Griffen emerged from his home without incident and was receiving care for his mental health after he called 911 fearing an intruder and spent most of Wednesday refusing to leave while law enforcement and team representatives tried to diffuse the situation.
The Vikings sent psychologists to Griffen’s house to work with police on guiding him through another alarming mental health situation. The team released a statement in the afternoon, about 12 hours after Griffen’s initial 911 call, confirming they’d been notified by authorities that the situation “ended peacefully” with Griffen coming out.
Griffen, a former USC standout who took a leave from the team in 2018 for mental health treatment, had posted on Instagram screenshots of middle-ofthe-night text messages to his agent, Brian Murphy, that were pleas for help because he said people were trying to kill him. Griffen also posted a video depicting him with a gun that he said was purchased legally. Those posts have since been deleted.
The 12th-year player initially refused to come out of his house because he feared intruders.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said his toe injury is a fracture and added that he doesn’t expect the situation to cause him to miss any games . ... Quarterback Lamar Jackson said he’s feeling better and he fully expects to play Sunday night for the Baltimore Ravens . ... The Tennessee Titans put backup quarterback Logan Woodside on the reserve/ COVID-19 list.
Toronto hires Bradley as coach
Less than a week after leaving LAFC, Bob Bradley landed a new job, being named as head coach and sporting director at Toronto FC where he will be reunited with son Michael, the team’s captain.
Speculation that Bradley would eventually land in Toronto began in the final weeks of the MLS season when the coach, whose contract expired when the schedule did, was still with LAFC. But Toronto waited until the conclusion of the Canadian Cup, which ended Sunday in a 1-0 loss to Montreal, before officially parting ways with interim coach Javier Pérez and general manager Ali Curtis.
— Kevin Baxter
The United States men’s national soccer team will play its next two home World Cup qualifying games at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio, against El Salvador on Jan. 27 and at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minn., on Feb. 2 against Honduras. ... Former Galaxy defender Ezra Hendrickson was hired as coach of the Chicago Fire . ... Bayern Munich players Joshua Kimmich and Eric Maxim ChoupoMoting tested positive for the coronavirus, the club said.
The short-handed Denver Nuggets confirmed guard PJ Dozier’s season is over after he tore his left anterior cruciate ligament in a 119-100 loss at Portland on
Tuesday night.
Free-agent pitcher Wade Davis, a three-time All-Star, retired after 13 seasons, most recently with the Kansas City Royals, at age 36.
Michigan State is giving Mel Tucker a $95 million, 10year contract, making an aggressive move to keep a football coach who potentially could leave for Louisiana State or the NFL . ... Liberty and football coach Hugh Freeze agreed to a contract extension that will keep him with the Flames through 2028 . ... Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim will return for a sixth year in 2022 . ... A statue on the University of Michigan campus of legendary football coach Bo Schembechler was vandalized with paint and a message supporting sexual assault victims was written on the steps beneath it.