by: Steve Samra • 57 minutes ago • SamraSource
The Las Vegas Raiders surprisingly released defensive tackle Christian Wilkins last week. It’s far from a cut-and-dry scenario though, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Las Vegas voided the $35.2 million of guaranteed money left on Wilkins’ contract last month. He originally signed a 4-year, $110 million deal with the Raiders last offseason — $57.5 million of which was set to be fully guaranteed. In the time since, Wilkins has filed a grievance with the NFLPA.
The Raiders reportedly voided the rest of Wilkins’ guaranteed money due to how he rehabbed the season-ending injury to his left foot, per Schefter. It occurred during Week 5 of the 2024 season and required surgery. The player and the franchise have apparently disagreed on how to approach his rehab.
However, there might be more than meets the eye when it comes to the story. Schefter joined The Pat McAfee Show on Monday, shedding some light on what Pat McAfee called a “weird incident involving a teammate” that could’ve led to Wilkins’ contract being terminated by the team.
“Speaking to people inside the locker room, I think what everybody’s dancing around and tiptoeing around is the fact that, when you speak to people there inside the locker room, they say that Christian playfully went to kiss a teammate on top of his head,” Schefter stated. “Those same people said that the player took offense to it.