Christian Wilkins was the big splash signing made by the Las Vegas Raiders last offseason. The veteran defensive tackle signed a four-year deal worth $110 million with Las Vegas in 2024 after posting a career-high nine sacks in 2023 with the Miami Dolphins.
Wilkins was expected to be a difference-maker on the Raiders’ defensive line and form a formidable duo with Maxx Crosby. Unfortunately, his debut campaign with Las Vegas in 2024 didn’t go to plan, as he played just five games after suffering a Jones fracture in a loss to the Denver Broncos.
The Raiders have kicked off OTAs under first-year head coach Pete Carroll, and Wilkins was unable to participate during Wednesday’s practice as he continues to rehab the injury that cut his 2024 season short. He did take part in team stretches, though.
Wilkins has been in and out of a walking boot over the last few months, and there hasn’t been much talk surrounding his injury. However, we finally received an update on the defensive tackle’s injury from Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, who says that Wilkins should be ready to go by August.
“Talked to a few people regarding the setback with Raiders DT Christian Wilkins. It essentially comes down to the screw breaking or (in the rare case) he rebroke the bone. In either case, the feeling is that he should be ready by August. (Obviously, we’ll see),” Bonsignore wrote on X.
Wilkins being out till August is obviously disappointing, as he will likely miss the first part of training camp and may not even play in the preseason. However, it’s clear that the Raiders are being cautious with his injury, which is a good idea.
With the star defensive lineman out for the foreseeable future, we’ll see who can step up on the interior defensive line throughout the summer and take advantage of increased opportunities.
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