Report: Vikings Finalizing Extension With Everson Griffen

Late last night, we mentioned that the rumor was circulating that the Minnesota Vikings were finalizing a contract extension for cornerback Xavier Rhodes. Now, word is surfacing that the team is looking to extend the contract of another of their defensive cornerstones.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network is reporting that the Vikings are working on a four-year extension for defensive end Everson Griffen.

Griffen was selected by the Vikings in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft out of Southern Cal. He took over for Jared Allen when he departed for Chicago before the 2014 season, and has since established himself as one of the NFL’s best pass rushers, collecting 30.5 sacks in the three seasons since taking over the starting gig. He got a big contract extension before that 2014 season, based almost entirely on potential, and has now parlayed that into another big payday.

Griffen currently has the third-largest salary cap hit on the team at $8.2 million, behind only quarterback Sam Bradford and offensive tackle Riley Reiff. We don’t know at this point whether or not this extension would lower his cap figure for this season, but there’s a chance that the Vikings could do that with a lot of young players soon to be in line for extensions of their own.

The extension, according to Rapoport, is for four years. Given that Griffen still has two years left on his current contract, signing such an extension will keep #97 under contract to the Vikings through the end of the 2022 season.

We’ll have more news on this as more comes down over the course of the day today.