Christian Wilkins has filed a grievance with the NFL players union after being brutally cut by the Las Vegas Raiders just one season into his four-year, $110million contract.
The Raiders, who are co-owned by legendary quarterback Tom Brady, have released Wilkins, 29, due to the way he handled his rehab from a foot injury he suffered last season, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The standout defensive tackle has officially been released by Las Vegas as a ‘terminated vested veteran’ – which refers to a player with four or more accrued seasons in the NFL who has been let go by a team.
When a vested veteran is cut from January up until mid-October, they become free agents immediately after 4pm ET on the day they are released.
Wilkins is believed to have filed a grievance to the NFLPA (Players ᴀssociation) after being dropped just one year into his lucrative deal.
The Raiders confirmed his departure in a statement later on Thursday night, saying: ‘We have decided that it is in the best interests of the organization to move on from Christian Wilkins and he has been informed of his release from the team.
Christian Wilkins has filed a grievance with the NFLPA after being brutally cut by the Raiders
The Raiders, who are co-owned by Tom Brady, have released Wilkins a year into his $110m deal
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‘This franchise has a Commitment to Excellence on and off the field. 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.’
Wilkins experienced a significant setback earlier this year in his recovery from a broken foot, which ended his 2024 season in Week 5 and forced him to have surgery.
That mysterious setback caused him to miss all of the Raiders’ organized team activities and minicamp, before they placed him on the physically unable to perform list last week.
‘It’s been a difficult recovery and he’s done everything he needs to do,’ Raiders head coach Pete Carroll said about Wilkins in May. ‘He’s been here every day. He’s here early working hard. He’s not ready to get back out. We’re in the midst of a long, challenging process.’
Wilkins was the Raiders’ marquee free-agent signing last year, agreeing to a four-year, $110m contract with $82.75m guaranteed.
The former Dolphins star was expected to bolster a defensive line led by pᴀss rushers Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce after making a career-high nine sacks in 2023 with Miami to go with his elite run-stopping ability. All three linemen, however, suffered season-ending injuries.
Wilkins made $29.2m last year and $20.5m this year already, with Las Vegas voiding the remaining $33m he was guaranteed.
He had two sacks and 17 tackles in five games before injuring his foot, which required surgery, after suffering a Jones fracture – a break of the bone that connects the pinkie toe to the base of the foot.
