The LA Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders are set to square off in Week 18 after opening the season against each other all those weeks ago. The two teams have gone in vastly different directions since Week 1 with the Chargers clinching a playoff spot and the Raiders clinching another pick in the top 10.
Chargers fans have gotten extra pleasure out of the Raiders' struggles this season. While it is always enjoyable to see a rival struggle, especially after the rival's fanbase puffed its chest out before the season, the Raiders' struggles are a bit more personal for Chargers fans this year.
Enter Tom Telesco. The Raiders hired Telesco as the team's general manager after 11 years of disappointing results with the Chargers. Telesco was already unpopular in Los Angeles for the job he did for over a decade. With him going to the Raiders, he became public enemy No. 1 for Chargers fans.
And while the disappointing season isn't wholly Telesco's fault, as he took over a mess in Las Vegas, the Raiders have made the same mistakes the Chargers made in years past. Most notably, the Raiders made the mistake of spending all the team salary-cap space on one player, Christian Wilkins, ignoring the depth of the roster as a result. In a predictable fashion, Wilkins has not worked out.
Tom Telesco's irresponsible spending follows him from the Chargers to the Raiders
There was legitimate concern among Chargers fans when the Raiders signed Wilkins to a four-year, $110 million contract in the offseason. Despite our best efforts to convince Chargers fans this was a good thing for the Bolts, many were worried about Wilkins because of his accolades in the league.
And to be fair, Wilkins put together a very solid career with the Miami Dolphins. However, the Raiders were paying for past performance and were overspending on a player who, albeit solid, was never going to result in the team winning many more games in 2024.
Wilkins is a run-defense specialist who had decent surface-level pass-rush numbers in 2023 that were not as impressive when you dug in. A run defender is not going to be the difference between being a bottom feeder and being a playoff team. The Raiders were much better off using that money to actually build out the depth of the roster. But alas, Telesco got distracted by the splashy signing.
Wilkins got hurt this season and has only played five games, so he was never going to live up to the lofty price tag in year one. Wilkins was solid in those five games, but he certainly was not worth $110 million while the rest of the roster lacks talent.
Pro Football Focus grades are flawed and are not a comprehensive tool to decide how a player is performing. However, it is worth noting that Wilkins registered a 74.8 defense grade, 80.2 run defense grade, and 69.2 pass-rush grade. Solid numbers, but he wasn't moving the needle.
While the Raiders spent over $100 million on an interior defensive lineman, the Chargers got 90% of Wilkins' production for a much cheaper cost out of Teair Tart. That is smart roster building, and that is why Joe Hortiz has done such an amazing job in his first year compared to his predecessor.
Wilkins may bounce back with a better 2025 campaign but history tells us he is only going to get worse with age, not better. The former All-Pro will turn 30 during the 2025 campaign, which is typically represents an inflection point in a defensive player's career. Some players thrive into their older years, like Khalil Mack, but more times than not they tend to regress.
Either way, even if Wilkins holds steady, he is not worth the $110 million contract the Raiders signed him to. And just like so many bloated Chargers contracts in the past, the Raiders will probably get rid of him before those four years are even up.