Shaquill Griffin signed a one-year, $4.5 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings over the summer.
In contrast, Griffin—who has earned over $34 million throughout his seven years in the league—expressed joy in his initial remarks to the media following his arrival.
This seems like the ideal circumstance. Fantastic chance to be present. I feel completely at home here. A few truly outstanding players. There are a lot of comedians, really.
Really humorous individuals. However, it seems like they expect me to come in and work while also taking the time to enjoy my time here. Thus, ever since I arrived, I’ve been having fun,” Griffin said to reporters on May 29.
“The most important thing, in my opinion, is that I feel like I was accepted, especially considering my game. I consider myself to be a pretty aggressive player,” he remarked. Therefore, I believe that the plan they’re attempting to implement this year matches perfectly with how I play.
It was nice that they had to see that before I signed here. Again, their level of confidence in my abilities has been positive, therefore I believe that makes us a fantastic fit. And even simply being in this region, I get the impression that everything about it, even the people, is there.
They came folks from Houston or Carolina that I used to play a lot with. Thus, many of the faces are familiar. Guys that I’ve known for a very long time in the league. I believe that everything about this setting was ideal for me to return to and resume my previous level of play.
Byron Murphy’s Versatility Can Be Unlocked With Shaquill Griffin’s Help
With Griffin on the team, the Vikings will be able to use fellow cornerback Byron Young Jr. more frequently in the slot this upcoming season. Murphy said he’s been watching his new buddy since the two were in college.
Under defensive coordinator Brian Flores, the Vikings hope to play more man coverage in Year 3, therefore he needs to get back to his previous level of play in coverage. According to Pro Football Focus, Griffin’s coverage efficiency during the previous season was 63.8%.
That was the former Pro Bowler’s lowest point in three years. However, he split the season between two clubs, logging a career-low snap share, according to Pro Football Reference.