On Thursday, the Las Vegas Raiders made the stunning decision to release defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, just a year after signing him to a lucrative deal. But though the Raiders chose to release Wilkins based on how he had been rehabbing a foot injury, there may have been an additional wrinkle in the decision.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Monday about an incident that happened last week, where Wilkins had kissed a teammate on the head. Schefter originally mentioned the report on Monday’s episode of “The Pat McAfee Show.”
Per Schefter, Wilkins lightheartedly kissed a teammate on the head, but the player took offense to the action despite it being intended as “playful.”
A complaint was filed to Las Vegas’ human resources department, per Schefter, though it is unclear if the player who was kissed was the one who filed it. The Raiders’ HR department has investigated the incident.
Schefter reported that the incident was not the only reason that Wilkins was cut, and that much of the reasoning was related to his injury, as was previously reported.
Wilkins suffered a Jones fracture in his left foot in Week 5 last season, which required surgery and kept him out for the rest of the year. The injury was still bothering the tackle as he arrived at training camp, but Wilkins resisted getting another surgery on his foot, leading Las Vegas to take the unexpected measure.
The Raiders officially released Wilkins on Thursday, one month after voiding $35.2 million in guaranteed money left on his deal. In a statement, the Raiders claimed that there was “no clear path or plan for future return to play” for Wilkins.
Wilkins has reportedly filed a grievance with the NFLPA related to the release.
By releasing Wilkins, Raiders and new head coach Pete Carroll set a hard line on team culture. Carroll spoke about the decision to release Wilkins on Friday, though focused primarily on the injury reasoning while saying that they thought the choice through.
“We took a long time to make our decision,” Carroll said. “We watched our way through the whole thing. We’re keeping really clear with what we said. I think there was no clear path to his return, and so we just had to move on.”
Later, Carroll added: “Each practice is an opportunity for us. Each day is a statement of who we are, what we’re all about. Are we there again? Are we consistent? Are we battling?”
