The Las Vegas Raiders gave up on Christian Wilkins just one year (and five games played) into the four-year, $110 million contract he signed with the team last offseason. This was a classic Tom Telesco signing as the now-former Raiders GM sacrificed roster depth to overspend on a defensive tackle.
Wilkins at $110 million was never a good deal. Wilkins on a cheaper, one-year prove-it deal is a completely different conversation. With Wilkins now on the open market, many Chargers fans have dream of the possibility of the Bolts giving him a chance to get after his old team.
There are naturally concerns around Wilkins given the nature of his sudden release. As talented as he is, taking a flier on him won't be worth it if he is seriously injured and won't play for half the season. While his recovery from a Jones fracture in his foot is still a primary cause, there was reportedly more to the situation, according to NFL insider Josina Anderson (h/t Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk).
"Some league sources believe an incident involving a teammate may have factored in-part into the Raiders’ fatigue and release of defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, beyond the management of his foot injury as the reported predominant cause. The Raiders have not officially confirmed an incident or a complaint involving Wilkins and a teammate, while another direct league source confirmed awareness of a situation in which ‘Christian (was) playing around.'," Anderson writes.
Christian Wilkins' Raiders drama ironically gives the Chargers more reason to sign him
Obviously, the injury is still a factor and the Chargers should keep that in the back of their minds. However, it also appears that the Raiders would have been more willing to be patient with the injury if this reported incident hadn't taken place.
While some may view that as a red flag, if anything, it's a green light for the Chargers. Jim Harbaugh has quickly established a culture in Los Angeles that the Raiders have lacked for two decades. The Bolts can be confident that if Wilkins comes in it won't be an issue.
When Wilkins was first released, it appeared that he was at risk of missing the entire 2025 season. Instead, the reality may be that Wilkins will only miss a few weeks, if any. Wilkins is absolutely worth the flier, even if he only plays 12 games this upcoming season.
Plus, thanks to the addition of Ben Herbert, the Chargers have one of the better training staffs in the NFL. It's impossible to know what was happening behind closed doors with the Raiders, but the Chargers may be able to provide more support to Wilkins as he recovers.
The Bolts have newfound cap space thanks to the Rashawn Slater extension and have the opportunity to land an impact player for cheap. Wilkins won't be chasing a payday; he will be chasing a chance to contend and prove that the Raiders made a massive mistake.
There is no better place to do that than in Los Angeles with the Chargers.