Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll provided a concerning update Wednesday on defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, who has been sidelined because of a Jones fracture in his left foot since October 2024.
“This has been a difficult recovery,” the first-year Raiders coach told the Las Vegas media. “He’s done everything he needs to do, and he’s here every day. He’s here early working hard. He’s still working it and he’s not ready to get back out. We’re in the midst of a long, challenging process.”
Wilkins wore a walking boot at the end of the season and again during part of OTAs, according to Tashan Reed of The Athletic. The Raiders had hoped to see Wilkins practicing at OTAs.
In the 2024 offseason, the Raiders signed Wilkins in free agency to a four-year, $110M contract, expecting him to be a major contributor. At the time of his injury, Wilkins had 17 tackles, two sacks, six quarterback hits and two tackles for loss.
With Wilkins sidelined, Las Vegas got major contributions from DT Adam Butler, who finished the season with 65 tackles and five sacks. He’s back, but the Raiders lost journeyman DT John Jenkins to the Baltimore Ravens in the offseason in free agency and don’t have great veteran depth at the position.
In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Raiders selected DTs Tonka Hemingway of South Carolina in the fourth round and JJ Pegues of Mississippi in the sixth round. The Raiders apparently made those selections knowing Wilkins could miss time in 2025.
“Fortunately, there is a lot of time, and we’re going to take every bit of it,” Carroll said. “We really tried to be diligent about the way we worked [with Wilkins and the injury], the way we monitored it and all of that, and he’s been on board the whole time. It has been challenging.”
It will be a big blow for the Raiders if Wilkins misses significant time. A 1-2 punch of Wilkins and Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby could be a major force in a highly competitive AFC West.
