NFL star Everson Griffen faced a tragic car crash ahead of the Minnesota Vikings' game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer confirmed the accident to the media on Friday, revealing that Griffen crashed his car as he tried to avoid a crossing deer. The 33-year-old athlete reportedly swerved before ultimately finding himself in a car accident.

The event occurred while he was on his way to the club's Eagan practice facilities, per CBS Sports. Other sources added that the single-vehicle crash happened around 6:30 A.M. on Thursday around the County Rd 44 in Minnetrista.

Zimmer added that he was diagnosed with a concussion after the crash. It remains unknown whether he sustained other injuries as a result.

The Vikings' injury report announced that he was ruled out for the upcoming weekend game, joining Anthony Barr, Harrison Hand, and Christian Darrisaw on the list. Kendricks' fate, on the other hand, remains unknown after suffering a quadriceps injury.

Griffen nor his camp has not released an official statement yet to discuss the incident.

Odd Journey of Griffen

Griffen's injury served as an odd way to welcome him back as a free agent. Last offseason, he returned to the team after spending last season with the Detroit Lions.

His return was awkward, though, as he previously shared a since-deleted tweet in which he called starting quarterback Kirk Cousins with an offensive word before claiming Zimmer never wanted him to be part of the center.

He has since apologized for the tweet and told The Twin Cities Pioneer Press that he planned a man-to-man talk with Cousins. He also claimed he already apologized to Mike Zimmer and the team's general manager, Rick Spielman.

"I take full ownership in that," Griffen said. "I've still got to talk to Kirk and apologize to him about that. ... I'm just going to talk to Kirk and apologize to him and have a man-to-man conversation."

The tweets almost halted his return to the Vikings. He launched his personal campaign to become part of the team again.

Earlier this month, he was officially re-signed by the team before after being cut off then re-signed again. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that the athlete wants to finish his career in Minnesota.

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