MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Vikings placed safety Michael Griffin on injured reserve Saturday afternoon, ending the two-time Pro Bowlers bid to start next to Harrison Smith.Griffin, who was on crutches in the teams locker room Sunday after his back seized up against the San Diego Chargers, did not play in the teams final preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night.On Saturday afternoon, he posted a message on Instagram that suggested hed been released: Just want to thank the @vikings organization for the opportunity and want to wish them the best this season. Thanks for memories and friendships that will never be broken. #skolvikesThe safety said he wasnt sure at the time if the Vikings would release him or put him on injured reserve, but when he was playing on a one-year deal at age 31, he figured the net effect of the move was the same.It was more likely I wasnt going to be able to play next week, Griffin said. I felt like the writing was on the wall. Youre not going to keep a guy whos going to be injured, and you dont know how long he was going to be out. I got an epidural shot on Monday; its getting better, but I dont know when Ill be able to be fully 100 [percent].Griffin said he plans to get a second opinion on his back, which he first injured several days before the Vikings-Chargers game. We didnt know exactly what it was. I thought I could play, but a couple plays into the game, it just locked up, he said. I was trying to make the team. When youre an older guy, and youre not playing, its not going to help.Griffin had man-to-man coverage on a Chargers tight end when Melvin Gordon broke through the line, forcing Griffin to make a quick change of direction in pursuit of the running back. Gordon sprinted away for a 39-yard touchdown, which was the first in U.S. Bank Stadium history.The Vikings signed Griffin to a one-year, $2.5 million deal in March, hoping he could turn into the kind of dynamic safety theyve sought next to Smith. Griffin, though, lost out on the starting job to Andrew Sendejo while fighting through his back injury.Minnesota will keep seventh-round pick Jayron Kearse after an impressive preseason in which the Clemson product intercepted two passes and forced a fumble. Anthony Harris, who started two games in 2015 after the Vikings signed the safety as an undrafted free agent, also made the Vikings final roster. Air Max Plus Saldi Sconti . -- If Henry Burris has his way, he will be the starting quarterback to lead the Hamilton Tiger-Cats back to the Grey Cup next year. Air Max Ingrosso . Andreas Johnson had a goal and two assists while Jacob de la Rose also scored for Sweden (2-0-0). Esa Lindell and Rasmus Ristolainen replied for Finland (1-1-0) Lindell opened the scoring for Finland just 41 seconds into the game, but the hosts quickly regained their composure and tied the score less than four minutes later on Wennbergs first of the game. http://www.airmaxitaliascarpe.it/ . Dukurs winning time was 1 minute, 45.76 seconds, a quarter-second better than Russias Alexander Tretiakov. Lativas Tomass Dukurs was third, 1.41 seconds off the pace. Jon Montgomery of Eckville, Alta. Air Max 720 In Offerta . PETERSBURG, Fla. Scarpe Air Max 2017 Scontate . No. 13-seeded John Isner and No. 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber were among six players who dropped out of the tournament on Tuesday, joining No. 12 seed Tommy Haas and two other players who withdrew on Monday. New Orleans Pelicans point guard Jrue Holiday is set to miss the start of the 2016-17 season because his pregnant wife, former U.S. womens national team soccer player Lauren Holiday, has been diagnosed with a brain tumor.Lauren Holiday, a two-time gold medalist and 2015 World Cup winner, will undergo surgery about six weeks after the birth of the couples first child. The tumor, which is benign, was found on the right side of her brain in late June.Devastating, Jrue Holiday told the New Orleans Times-Picayune of the diagnosis, adding that his wife has numbness on the right side of her face because the tumor is pressing on a nerve.On Monday, Holiday took to Twitter to thank his familys supporters.The childs due date is in mid-October, but the Holidays plan to induce labor earlier in order to expedite Lauren Holidays surgery. The couple plans to reside in the Raleigh, North Carolina, area, near the Duke University medical specialists who will handle the surgery.Even so, Jrue Holiday will miss an indefinite number of games while he supports his wifes recovery and cares for their newborn. ?My family comes before basketball, Jrue Holiday told the Times-Picayune. Im obviously blessed to play this game and be in the position I am in, but my wife is the most important thing in the world to me. She comes before anything else.Doctors believe that Lauren Holiday, 28, should return to full health and that the child should not be affected by the tumor, according to the newspaper.Pelicans general manager Dell Demps expressed support for Jrue Holidays decision in a statement Sunday.We are all praying for a healthy delivery of their first child and a successful surgery for Lauren, Demps said. Furthermore, we ask everyone to respect the Holidays privacy at this time.Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry also declared his and the teams support for the Holiday family.The most important thing for Jrue to do right now is be with his wifee and family, Gentry said in a statement.dddddddddddd Every one of our coaches and players understands what Lauren and Jrue are going through, and they know were behind them 100 percent. Well continue to do everything we can to support them and help them get through these hard times.Some members of the U.S. national team said Lauren Holiday had written them about her condition and they were eager to support her.Shes just a very resilient, strong person and she has strong faith, and thats helping her in keeping her strong during this time, because it is scary, said Becky Sauerbrunn, a former teammate on the U.S. national team and FC Kansas City. If anyone could get through something like this, it is Lauren.Heather OReilly, another former teammate on the U.S. national team and FC Kansas City, said, Were there for her. Were all behind her. Thats kind of what times like these sort of show, is how close-knit this soccer community is.Jrue Holiday, 26, has dealt with a slew of injuries since joining the Pelicans before the 2013-14 season. He missed 90 games over the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons due to a stress fracture in his right leg suffered in January 2014. His 2015-16 season ended early due to an orbital wall fracture on his right eye suffered during a game. He expects to return this season in full health.The Pelicans said they plan to send a trainer to North Carolina to help Jrue maintain his fitness and basketball skills during his absence.Lauren Holiday, a midfielder, retired from soccer after winning the 2015 NWSL championship with FC Kansas City. She was the NWSL MVP in 2014.The Holidays met as college athletes at UCLA in the 2008-09 school year and were married in July 2013.Information from ESPN staff writer Justin Verrier and The Associated Press contributed to this report. ' ' '