Injury to Raiders Veteran Has Impacted League-Wide Perception

Wilkins is expected to return this season, but his injury has undoubtedly impacted his stature as one of the best defensive tackles in the league.

ESPN recently released its list of the top 10 defensive tackles in the league. Last season, Wilkins was widely regarded as one of the top 10 at his position. He made the list last season but not this season.

ESPN noted how Wilkins' injury dropped him out of the top 10 this season.

"Wilkins rolled snake eyes in his first year in Las Vegas, missing the final 12 games with a Jones fracture in his left foot suffered Oct. 6. It was a disappointing turn for a player who signed a four-year, $110 million deal with the Raiders in March 2024. Wilkins, 29, was sidelined during minicamp as he continues his recovery from the injury," ESPN said.

The Raiders have not said much about Wilkins' rehab. However, following Organized Team Activities, Pete Carroll noted that Wilkins' recovery is going slower than initially planned, but also explained that the Raiders will be cautious with the veteran. Las Vegas will not rush Wilkins back.

"Yeah, this has been a difficult recovery, and he's done everything he needs to do. He's been here every day. He's here early, working hard, but we're still working it, and he's not ready to get back out. And we're in the midst of a long, challenging process here," Carroll said.

"So, fortunately, there's a lot of time, and we're going to take every bit of it. We've really tried to be really diligent about the way we've worked it and the way we've monitored it and all of that, and he's really been on board the whole time. But it has been challenging."

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