The Las Vegas Raiders announced today their intentions to release defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, just one year after signing him to a massive deal in free agency. Wilkins played in five games for the Raiders last season before he suffered a fracture in his left foot, which caused him to miss the rest of the season.
In those five games with the Raiders, Wilkins collected 17 total tackles. Wilkins was drafted with the 13th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. The Clemson product saw the majority of his success with the Dolphins in the five seasons that he played in Miami. He left the Dolphins last season after signing a four-year, $110 million contract with the Raiders, who envisioned him as the cornerstone of their new defensive identity.
Instead, the marriage proved to be short-lived, as a difference of opinion in how Wilkins was rehabbing that surgically repaired foot apparently couldn't be bridged.
Raiders releasing Wilkins is a sign of relief for the Dolphins
Wilkins was a key contributor for the Dolphins in his five seasons with the team, as Miami appeared in the playoffs two times. The Raiders releasing Wilkins is a sigh of relief for many Dolphins fans, as seeing him go took a toll on Miami's defense. The Dolphins finished the 2024 season with an 8-9 record and could've used Wilkins down the stretch in games. Losing him hurt, and was a sore point among fans at the time as many wanted to see Chris Grier pay up to keep Wilkins in town.
Vegas blew his market out of the water, though, and now Miami comes out a winner much earlier than anybody anticipated. But that begs the question: With Wilkins now released and a free agent, could the Dolphins bring him back? Miami very well could if the opportunity presents itself. Since departing from South Beach, the Dolphins have struggled to find a replacement for Wilkins on defense, despite Miami ranking fourth in yards allowed per game with 314.3.
In his last season with the Dolphins in 2023, Wilkins collected 65 total tackles with a career-high nine sacks. The Dolphins would end up reaching the playoffs in Wilkins' final season in Miami, losing to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, 26-7 in the AFC Wild Card Round.
Why the Dolphins should consider bringing back Wilkins
Entering the 2025 season, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is under pressure to lead the Dolphins to success in a loaded AFC. One way the Dolphins can take the pressure off of McDaniel is by bringing back Wilkins to lead Miami's defense.
When Wilkins was in Miami, he was a leader, and bringing him back to Miami would without a doubt help the Dolphins to play at a high level defensively.