The Las Vegas Raiders are looking to make a massive jump this season and they are in a position where things may get a bit ugly with their most recent move. The team has reportedly decided to release defensive tackle Christian Wilkins after one season and voiding $35.2 million of his guaranteed money on the contract he signed. Let’s take a deeper dive into what happened and what it means going forward.
Las Vegas Raiders Release Christian Wilkins
The Las Vegas Raiders have decided to part ways with defensive tackle Christian Wilkins on Thursday evening, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This is going to be intriguing as Wilkins signed a four-year, $110 million contract last offseason with the team. He suffered a foot injury last season and was only able to appear in five games and recording two sacks, 17 total tackles, and six quarterback hits. The team officially placed him in the PUP list last week before deciding to release him.
The Las Vegas Raiders released him with the designation of a terminated vested veteran, which means he will not be subject to waivers and will become a free agent immediately. The team voided the remaining $35.2 million of guaranteed money last month due to the way Wilkins was treating the rehab process from his foot injury and today, he officially filed a grievance with the NFLPA.
This could be a hefty fight between the NFLPA and the Las Vegas Raiders, but Christian Wilkins is now a free agent and could sign with any other team ahead of the NFL preseason. There are certainly teams who should be interested in his 22.5 career sacks, so it will be intriguing to see what contract he demands and what teams he will be willing to join.
