Former Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Christian Wilkins was released by the Las Vegas Raiders after just one season with the franchise.
Wilkins left the Dolphins after the 2023 NFL season, signing a four-year deal with the Raiders worth $110 million, with $84.75 million guaranteed. However, Wilkins has been recovering from a Jones fracture in his left foot, and the Raiders apparently didn’t like the way he was treating his rehab.
Because of that, Las Vegas decided to void the remaining $35.2 million of guaranteed money left on his contract on June 4, according to ESPN.
On Monday, another report surfaced of Wilkins offending one of his teammates by allegedly kissing the player on top of his head.
Regarding the “incident” involving Christian Wilkins: Per @AdamSchefter, he playfully went to kiss a teammate on the top of his head, and some people have said that player took offense to it.pic.twitter.com/Ed4GdxCpTn
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 28, 2025
After the incident, a complaint was filed to Raiders’ human resources department, according to Schefter.
It’s a messy situation all around for Wilkins, who could end up latching on with another team ahead of the 2025 season.
“We took a long time to make our decision,” Raiders head coach Pete Carroll said of the team’s decision to release Wilkins. “We watched our way through the whole thing. We’re keeping it really clear with what we said. I think there was no clear path to his return, and so we just had to move on.”
In five games in the 2024 season, Wilkins recorded 17 tackles, two sacks and six quarterback hits. Prior to that, he had become one of the better defensive players in the league during his time in Miami, recording nine sacks in 17 games in the 2023 season.
A first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Wilkins has the talent to be an impact player on a team as soon as the 2025 season. He’s only 29 years old, and if he’s recovered from his foot injury, he could be a solid addition this late in the offseason.
It’s unclear if the Dolphins would even consider a reunion with Wilkins, but he could beef up the interior of their defensive line if he were willing to return to Miami on a reasonable deal.
For now, the Dolphins are focused on the team they currently have and getting ready for the 2025 season. Miami missed the playoffs last season, but it’s hoping to get back on track and make a playoff run in the 2025 campaign.
