SB Nation    •   4 min read

Major name among defensive tackles hits the free agent market

WHAT'S THE STORY?

NFL: Cleveland Browns at Las Vegas Raiders
Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

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

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Las Vegas having only been lasted with the team for one season.

But what else is new?

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.

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