Troubled Dallas Cowboys Ex Kicked Off Flight Due To 'Unruly Behavior'

Jul 16, 2025 6:19 PM EDT

FRISCO – Everson Griffen, a four-time Pro Bowler and beloved player with the Minnesota Vikings who has a history of mental health challenges, was removed from a Delta Air Lines flight on Wednesday for reportedly causing a mid-flight problem that resulted in the airplane returning to its origin city.

According to TMZ, Griffen — who played here for the Dallas Cowboys in 2020 — stands accused of “creating a scene” in the moments after his Delta flight took off … and the trouble was enough to cause pilots to turn the plane around and return to Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

Delta released a statement on this incident.  

“Delta has zero tolerance for unruly behavior and will always work with law enforcement to that end,” a spokesperson for the airline said. “We apologize to our customers for the delay in their travel as safety and security comes before everything else at Delta.”

Just before the flight, Griffen, 37, posted a video of himself showing up to O’Hare International Airport complete with a seeming expression of excitement in the caption as he wrote, “We out Chicago!!! It’s up, it better be!!!”

Griffen’s standout career included 85.5 sacks and 10 forced fumbles.

Along with those stats, however, there are also an assortment of arrests, including DUIs and one incident in which he allegedly threatened to shoot someone. … after which he was reportedly taken to a local hospital for a mental health evaluation.