Raiders releasing former big-ticket addition after just one season

It is also a situation that is likely to get messy in the coming weeks due to a grievance that Wilkins has filed with the NFLPA. 

At the center of his release — and grievance — is Wilkins' rehab from a foot injury that cut short his 2024 season after just five games.

The Raiders wanted Wilkins to correct the issue with surgery. Wilkins opted not to have the surgery, and as the rehab continued to drag on, there was uncertainty of when he would be able to get back on the field. 

As recently as Tuesday Raiders head coach Pete Carroll said there was no definitive timeline on when that would be.

Just 48 hours later, Wilkins was released, with the Raiders attempting to void the remaining $35.2M in guarantees that he was owed on his contract. 

Wilkins spent the first five year of his career with the Miami Dolphins, and turned a career-year performance in 2023 into a big-ticket free agency contract with the Raiders. The hope was that he could form a dominant 1-2 punch with Maxx Crosby, and for the five games he played he showed the ability to do that. 

He was just never healthy enough to continue the rest of the season. Now Las Vegas is going to be left asking what could have been, while Wilkins tries to get the money he believes he is owed. 

Wilkins will turn 30 in December, and if anyone is confident in his ability to come back from the injury, he could still land on a new team and potentially play a big role.