Earlier this offseason, it was reported veteran DT Christian Wilkins “fully intends” to play in 2026 and has been contacted by more than 20 teams.
Wilkins was released in July of last year over a dispute about his foot injury and missed the entire season. Adam Schefter reported Wilkins was still rehabbing from the foot injury as of a month ago, and interested teams were waiting until he’s healthy to make a decision.
SI.com’s Albert Breer spoke on what he’s heard about Wilkins recently. Breer said there were questions about Wilkins’ desire to play from the Raiders when he was on the team, along with the disputes over a potential second foot surgery.
Breer says “there’s been very little discussions around Wilkins since” and believes his return to the NFL hinges on his willingness to get his body right and his willingness to play for much less than the $27 million per year he was getting before.
Wilkins, 30, is a former first-round pick of the Dolphins back in 2019 out of Clemson. He signed a four-year, $15,439,100 contract with Miami that included a $9,248,436 signing bonus and played out the deal.
He made a salary of $10,753,000 in 2023 under his fifth-year option. Las Vegas signed him to a four-year, $110 million deal including $84.75 million guaranteed, in March 2024.
In 2024, Wilkins appeared in five games for the Raiders and recorded 17 tackles and two sacks.
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