Should Rams kick tires on Christian Wilkins or is his release a bad sign?
The biggest signing in 2024 free agency is now the most shocking release so far in 2025. The Las Vegas Raiders released defensive tackle Christian Wilkins on Thursday, voiding $35 million of his contract due to how he rehabbed his foot injury according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Wilkins had nine sacks for the Miami Dolphins in 2023 and was the second highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL behind only Chris Jones prior to this news. The Raiders paid Wilkins a salary of $27.5 million but now he leaves Las Vegas having only been lasted with the team for one season.
But what else is new?
ESPN sources: Raiders are releasing defensive tackle Christian Wilkins with the designation of terminated vested veteran. His time in Las Vegas is now over.
Due to how Wilkins treated the rehab from his foot injury he suffered last season, the Raiders voided the remaining $35.2… pic.twitter.com/GXOGSeXz5H
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 24, 2025
Wilkins is just the latest Raiders bust in a line of thousands. The Los Angeles Rams picked up one of those recent busts by signing Davante Adams in free agency this year, less than a year after Las Vegas traded Adams to the New York Jets during the 2024 season.
Would the Rams poach another former Raiders free agency bust by signing Wilkins?
Well, the Rams already added Poona Ford in the offseason to a room that has Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske already. Wilkins may not get the playing time he expects if he goes to an L.A. defense that has those three already on the depth chart.
But you never know with Les Snead and Wilkins had recently been considered one of the top-8 players at his position. He’s only 29 and we’d think he has more to give but you have to question what he did to get the Raiders to release him and void a major portion of his contract.