The Raiders have formally announced that they are releasing defensive tackle Christian Wilkins due to his slow progress following a foot injury, but insiders say that he is also under scrutiny over a locker room incident involving another player.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter told Pat McAfee that insiders informed him Wilkins had angered a teammate by joking around and attempting to give him a “playful” kiss on the top of the head.
Wilkins had a four-year, $110 million contract with the Raiders, of which $82.75 million was guaranteed. However, on Thursday, the team announced that they were dropping him and listed him as a “terminated vested veteran.”
The team has also reportedly voided the remaining $35.2 million of his guaranteed money and is claiming that he was not making serious progress with his injury rehabilitation.
“This franchise has a Commitment to Excellence on and off the field,” the Raiders said on Thursday. “With no clear path or plan for future return to play from Christian, this transaction is necessary for the entire organization to move forward and prepare for the new season.”
The team has issued no confirmation of the kiss incident. But the NFLPA has filed a grievance on Wilkins’ behalf.
First-year coach Pete Carroll insisted that the team “took a long time to make our decision” to dump Wilkins, but felt they had to move on since it did not seem he was going to be back from his injury any time soon.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston, X at WTHuston, or Truth Social at @WarnerToddHuston.
