With fresh information surfacing that raises the possibility that more may have been happening behind the scenes, especially in the locker room, speculation surrounding the shocking departure of defensive tackle Christian Wilkins from the Las Vegas Raiders is still rife.
Being featured on The Pat McAfee Show ESPN’s Adam Schefter provided details on a purported incident involving Wilkins and a teammate on Monday.
According to Schefter, sources in the Raiders locker room say Wilkins attempted to give a teammate a lighthearted kiss on the top of his head, which apparently upset the player.
Schefter pointed out that the media has been skirting the event ever since those same people said that the player took offense.According to McAfee, if a player felt obliged to report such behavior, it probably suggested that other players in the locker room didn’t (expletive) interact with him.
According to the terms of the contract, a team may end it if a player doesn’t stay in optimal physical condition or doesn’t comply with the medical staff.
Just over a year after Wilkins signed a four-year, $110 million contract with the Raiders, the team abruptly severed their relationship with him last Thursday. The remaining $35.2 million in promised funds were nullified by the action.
According to early reports, there was a disagreement regarding Wilkins’ foot issue, notably his refusal to have the surgery that the team doctors had advised.
Since then, Wilkins has challenged the Raiders’ decision to nullify the remaining guarantees on his contract in a non-injury grievance. An arbitrator will preside over a formal hearing as the next step in the process, though as of Monday afternoon, no date had been established.
During his five Raiders games last season, Wilkins recorded 2.0 sacks and 17 total tackles. The Springfield native was fresh off a 2023 season in which he recorded nine sacks, 65 tackles, 38 solo stops, and 10 tackles for loss while playing for the Miami Dolphins.
Wilkins is still able to go to other teams in the league in the interim. The veteran defensive tackle may be signed while the grievance procedure is ongoing if a club is satisfied with his medical condition and he passes a test.
