Raiders HC Pete Carroll expands on decision to release DT Christian Wilkins

For the first time since the Las Vegas Raiders' shocking release of DT Christian Wilkins on Thursday, head coach Pete Carroll fielded questions about the move.

"To make our decision, we watched our way through the whole thing," Carroll told the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Vinny Bonsignore. "We're keeping really clear with what we said. I think there was no clear path to his return, and we just had to move on."

Wilkins was injured in Week 5 against the Denver Broncos last season, suffering a foot injury that would put him on the IR after five games. It was not what the Raiders had hoped for after then-general manager Tom Telesco signed him to a four-year, $110 million deal in March 2024.

Initially, Wilkins did have surgery, but wasn't healthy by the time organized team activities started, and his rehab proved to be a "challenging process" as described by Carroll a few months ago.

According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Las Vegas reportedly wanted Wilkins to undergo another foot surgery, but he declined, which led to the release of the six-year pro from Clemson.

The Raiders are attempting to void $35.2 million in remaining guarantees that Wilkins was owed on his contract. The NFLPA filed a grievance against Las Vegas as a result.

Wilkins was brought in to help star pass rusher Maxx Crosby create problems for opposing offenses. The Raiders got a brief look when Wilkins recorded 17 tackles, two tackles for loss, six quarterback hits and two sacks before he got injured in the second quarter.

The injury was unfortunate for Las Vegas, which had counted on Wilkins to produce similar results, as he had in his last three seasons with the Dolphins, recording 17 sacks, including nine in 2023.

Perhaps Raiders GM John Spytek saw this coming when the silver and black selected Tonka Hemingway and JJ Pegues in the 2025 NFL Draft. While there is still time to find the next player to fill the void left by Wilkins, there is a massive hole in the interior line.