Christian Wilkins is looking for a new home in the NFL. The former Clemson star is now a free agent after being released by the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday in a shocking move.
One team that has Wilkins on their radar is the New England Patriots. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said at training camp on Friday that the team will “have a conversation” about signing the 6-foot-4, 310-pound defensive tackle.
Wilkins is a Massachusetts native and was a Patriots fan growing up. He attended high school in Connecticut, and Vrabel mentioned how he recruited Wilkins when Vrabel was the defensive line coach at Ohio State.
“I mean, I think we’ll have a conversation,” Vrabel told reporters when asked if the Patriots will “kick the tires” on Wilkins.
“This is pretty new, so I don’t have all the information on where Christian is. I know Christian. I recruited him when he was up here in the area in Connecticut and going to high school. So, I’m sure we’ll have a conversation about it.”
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Wilkins was released Thursday with the designation of “terminated vested veteran,” and the Raiders voided the remaining $35.2 million of guaranteed money left on his contract last month “due to how Wilkins treated the rehab from his foot injury he suffered last season.”
After agreeing to a massive four-year, $110 million deal with the Raiders prior to the 2024 season, Wilkins was limited to five games with the Raiders last season due to a foot injury he suffered last October. He underwent season-ending surgery for a Jones fracture, and the Raiders reportedly wanted Wilkins to have a second surgery on his foot and he didn’t want to.
A 2019 first-round pick (13th overall), the 29-year-old Wilkins spent the first five years of his NFL career with the Miami Dolphins and amassed 353 tackles, 20.5 sacks and 43 tackles for loss over 81 career games (77 starts) during his time in Miami.
–Photo courtesy of Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images