Christian Wilkins tried to ‘playful’ kiss Raiders teammate on forehead before being cut: report
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Christian Wilkins, the veteran defensive lineman who was released by the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday, reportedly kissed a teammate on the forehead, who took offense to it.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the situation on Monday, adding that Wilkins’ incident with the teammate did not solely contribute to him being cut from the Raiders.
Wilkins is dealing with a Jones fracture in his left foot, which he suffered in October 2024.
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Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Christian Wilkins (94) celebrates after getting a sack against the Cleveland Browns during the third quarter at Allegiant Stadium. (Stephen R. Sylvanie/Imagn Images)
The report states that the incident occurred in a team meeting room last week, with ESPN having one source say it was “playful.” However, the teammate in question did not view Wilkins’ interaction that way.
A complaint was filed to the Raiders’ human resources department following the incident.
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On the injury front, the Raiders are reportedly voiding the remaining $35.2 million left in guaranteed money on Wilkins’ contract due to how he treated his rehab assignment following the injury. Wilkins was released with the designation of terminated vested veteran, per Schefter.
Wilkins has asked the NFL Players Association to file a grievance on his behalf due to the Raiders’ wanting to void his guaranteed money, and they did so on Thursday.
Wilkins signed a four-year, $110 million deal, which included $84.75 million guaranteed, with Las Vegas in free agency last year.
He was one of the league’s best defensive tackles with the Miami Dolphins, which included a career-high nine-sack season in 2023 before hitting free agency. Wilkins racked up 20.5 sacks and 355 combined tackles over 81 games with the Dolphins.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Christian Wilkins (94) before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. (Tommy Gilligan/Imagn Images)
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In five games before his injury in 2024, Wilkins tallied two sacks and 17 combined tackles for the Raiders. He required surgery for the Jones fracture, which ended his debut season in Las Vegas.
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