The Las Vegas Raiders announced yesterday that they were releasing defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. This comes a little over a year after the team signed Wilkins in free agency to a four-year, $110 million deal.
“We have decided that it is in the best interests of the organization to move on from Christian Wilkins, and he has been informed of his release from the team,” the Raiders said in a statement. “This franchise has a commitment to excellence on and off the field. With no clear path or plan for future return to play from Christian, this transaction is necessary for the entire organization to move forward and prepare for the new season.”
According to sources who spoke to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Wilkins will be designated a terminated vested veteran by Las Vegas in the hopes that the team can void the remaining $35.2 million owed on his contract. According to the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, terminated vested veterans “will not be entitled to Termination Pay under this Article if the Club can demonstrate that… the player failed to exhibit the level of good faith effort which can be reasonably expected from NFL players on that Club.”
Wilkins was drafted with the 13th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. After spending the first five years of his career with the Miami Dolphins, he signed with the Raiders last off-season. In his lone year with Vegas, he appeared in five games before his season was cut short by a Jones fracture in his left foot.
Though the initial belief was that he would require surgery on the foot, he scoffed at the idea, sources said. The Raiders then decided to void the remaining guaranteed money on his contract because Wilkins failed to “maintain his physical condition to play.”
Wilkins has asked the NFL Players’ Association to file a grievance on his behalf. The next step in the appeals process would be a hearing.
Another failure from the 2024 Raiders
It seems that Las Vegas is still paying for the incompetence of the previous regime. It’s not enough that former GM Tom Telesco and head coach Antonio Pierce only accumulated four wins during their tenure. Now, they’re letting their failures carry over into the next regime.
Out of the ten marquee individuals that the Raiders either signed or re-signed last season, only one player is remaining on the roster heading into this season: defensive tackle Adam Butler. I guess it’s good that Tom Telesco signed him because he’s one of the few defensive tackles left on the roster.
There are currently eight defensive tackles in Las Vegas. Four of them are rookies, while another is entering his second year in the NFL. Therefore, the Raiders have three defensive tackles with multiple years of NFL experience: Adam Butler, Leki Fotu, and Zach Carter. Considering those three guys combined for 81 tackles last season (an average of 27 per player), it’s safe to say that the Raiders will have some trouble with their interior defensive line.
The good news is that the Raiders were actually not bad against the run last season. In fact, they finished the season with the 13th-best run defense in the NFL. With the addition of eight new players to the defense, it’s possible that Vegas won’t miss Wilkins too much, which would explain why they were willing to get rid of him after just five games.
Will somebody sign Christian Wilkins?
Though there are some character concerns regarding his commitment to getting healthy, Christian Wilkins is still a good football player. Some teams could use his experience along the defensive front. Even if he has to undergo surgery, there’s a chance he can return later in the year for the playoffs. If nothing else, he will be back on the field and contributing by the 2026-27 season.
The Buffalo Bills come to mind as a team that needs a defensive tackle. Larry Ogunjobi and Michael Hoecht are both going to miss multiple games due to the suspension. Meanwhile, Joey Bosa is already dealing with injuries. Adding Christian Wilkins would make a ton of sense in the short-term and long-term.
The New Orleans Saints were the second-worst team against the run in the NFL last season. Though they traded for Davon Godchaux, they only have six other defensive tackles on their roster, and most of those guys are not pure defensive tackles. Most of them are ends or hybrids. Wilkins would be a welcome addition as a pure nose tackle.
The New England Patriots are also a potential suitor for Wilkins. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, who recruited Wilkins in high school, said that the team will “have a conversation” about the former first-round pick.
It doesn’t even have to be a squad that has major holes along the defensive line. Christian Wilkins is a good football player who will be signed over the next few days or weeks.
