Raiders shockingly release Christian Wilkins, and now the NFLPA is getting involved

The Las Vegas Raiders are parting ways with veteran defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.

And a fight with the NFLPA is now on the horizon.

Wilkins signed a massive five-year, $110 million contract with the Raiders in March of 2024. In that deal $82.75 million was guaranteed, with $57.5 million guaranteed at the time he put pen to paper on the contract.

Wilkins suffered a Jones fracture in his foot last October, an injury that required surgery and ended his season. According to multiple sources, with Adam Schefter among the first to report the move, the Raiders released Wilkins with the designation of “terminated vested veteran,” and “[d]ue to how Wilkins treated the rehab from his foot injury,” the team “voided the remaining $35.2 million of guaranteed money left on” his contract last month.

Wilkins filed a grievance today. Under the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, the NFLPA had 50 days to file a grievance, starting with the day he was released, which was June 4.

The Raiders addressed the move in a statement. “We have decided that it is in the best interests of the organization to move on from Christian Wilkins and he has been informed of his release from the team,” said the organization. “This franchise has a Commitment to Excellence on and off the field. With no clear path or plan for future return to play from Christian, this transaction is necessary for the entire organization to move forward and prepare for the new season.”

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, a dispute arose between Wilkins and the team over “whether or not he should undergo surgery on his injured foot.”

Wilkins has 372 career tackles, 56 QB hits, 22.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles over his career, which began as a first-round pick by the Miami Dolphins back in 2019.

This comes as the NFLPA is going through a sudden transition period. Executive Director Lloyd Howell Jr. resigned in recent weeks, following a series of stories that plagued his tenure with the NFLPA. Then former player JC Tretter, considered a potential replacement for Howell, resigned from his position as NFLPA President.