The Las Vegas Raiders released defensive tackle Christian Wilkins on Thursday, calling the decision in the “best interests of the organization” in a statement. The 2019 first-round draft pick was entering the second year of a four-year, $110 million contract, with $35.2 million in “guaranteed” money left that the Raiders voided. Shortly after, the NFL Players Association filed a grievance on behalf of Wilkins.
This situation is the latest reminder that the headline numbers in NFL contracts are often imaginary, with the league lacking the same level of guarantees in its contracts that exist in the NBA, MLB and NHL.
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Wilkins suffered a Jones fracture in his left foot early in the 2024 season. He had surgery, but a dispute arose this summer on whether the defensive tackle should have another surgery or continue rehabilitation. The Raiders placed Wilkins on the physically unable to perform list last week at the start of training camp, before waiving him Thursday.
The NFL CBA includes a notice of contract termination in its appendix. Clubs can check one of five boxes that range from unsatisfactory performance to personal conduct that adversely affects the club.
According to ESPN, Wilkins’ termination was a result of the first choice in the notice: “You have failed to establish or maintain your excellent physical condition to the satisfaction of the Club physician.”
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The CBA has detailed language regarding its Injury Protection Benefit. It states that a player must undergo “reasonable and customary rehabilitation treatment the club required of him.”
The question about guaranteed money in the NFL has been at the forefront of the league over the past month. A January arbitration decision, which was unveiled in late June on the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, found the league’s management council “encouraged” owners in 2022 to reduce contract guarantees after the Browns signed Deshaun Watson, but that owners didn’t collude in violation of the collective bargaining agreement.
An arbitrator will now determine whether Wilkins is entitled to his $35 million. His grievance falls under “non-injury” category, which covers fines, suspension and prior-year injuries that invoke the collectively bargained Injury Protection Benefit. The NFLPA’s website say it is successful in “considerably more than half” of the overall grievances filed, which also includes injury cases.
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