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The once-promising partnership between the Las Vegas Raiders and defensive tackle Christian Wilkins came to an unhappy and abrupt ending Thursday, with the team releasing Wilkins due to reported contentiousness over his rehab from last year’s season-ending foot injury.
The Raiders signed Wilkins to a four-year, $110 million deal last offseason, but he suffered a Jones fracture after just five games. He was placed on injured reserve in early October after having season-ending surgery. This came after Wilkins had emerged as a standout with the Miami Dolphins, registering a career-high nine sacks in 2023 to go along with his stellar play against the run. He had appeared in all 17 games in three straight seasons in Miami before joining Las Vegas.
The Raiders released Wilkins with a “terminated vested veteran” designation and voided the remaining $35.2 million of guaranteed money on his contract due to how he handled the injury, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Wilkins filed a grievance with the NFL Players Association regarding the guarantees.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport detailed a months-long feud between the team — which wanted him to get another surgery — and the player, who opted against surgery in favor of other rehabilitation methods.
Wilkins, 29, was placed on the physically unable to perform list before being released, and his prospects for returning to the field any time soon don’t sound particularly promising.
This is a shocker, plain and simple. Just over a year ago, Wilkins was expected to team up with Maxx Crosby to present one of the most fearsome defensive line duos in the league. He was dependable and well-respected around the league — up to No. 58 in the 2024 NFL Top 100, which is voted on by players.
Now, he’s looking for a new team — though even that is unclear — and in the middle of a financial dispute.
There are still plenty of questions to be answered for Wilkins, for the Raiders and for the NFLPA.
What are the finances, past and present?
According to Spotrac, Wilkins’s four-year, $110 million deal included $82.75 million in guarantees and $57.5 million in full guarantees. Rapoport reports that Wilkins made $49.7 million in his five games with Las Vegas. That comes from …
- $24 million signing bonus (2024)
- $5 million base salary (2024)
- $120,000 roster/game bonus (2024) — He was active for five games, at $24,000 per game
- $92,000 workout bonus (2024)
- $20.5 million restructure bonus (2025)
The Raiders voided the remaining $35.2 million of guarantees on his contract last month, though Wilkins has since field a grievance with the NFL Players Association. How that plays out will be crucial.
What is ‘terminated vested veteran,’ and why does it matter?
The language of “terminated vested veteran” is key here. In Article 30, Section 3(a) of the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, it says:
“An otherwise qualified player will not be entitled to Termination Pay under this Article if the Club can demonstrate that, after receipt of a written warning from his Club in the form attached hereto as Appendix I, the player failed to exhibit the level of good faith effort which can be reasonably expected from NFL players on that Club.”
In their statement, the Raiders hinted at dissatisfaction with how Wilkins handled his rehab:
“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. 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.”
This will be a fascinating battle between the Raiders and Wilkins/the NFLPA, which is going through major controversy of its own right now.
What’s next for Wilkins?
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini said Thursday that teams believe the next steps for Wilkins would be making visits and taking physicals with them. Because he is a vested veteran, Wilkins can avoid waivers and will have the chance to pick his next landing spot.
Of course, the foot issue is a significant one — one that has impacted him for nearly an entire year and continues to be a major issue. First-year Raiders coach Pete Carroll described Wilkins’ recovery as a “long, challenging process” back in May at OTAs and had a more ominous outlook Wednesday: “It’s still uncertain. We sort of have to wait it out.”
Wilkins’ health is paramount to his chances to find a new home. Until that becomes clearer, it’s hard to accurately project what’s next for his career, or which teams could even be interested. Different teams have different medical staffs who will make their own assessments of Wilkins.
For now, there are an array of uncertainties, and it may stay that way for a while.
