The Raiders’ decision to release defensive tackle Christian Wilkins a year into the four-year, $110 million deal he signed before last season was the subject of the first question of head coach Pete Carroll’s press conference on Friday.
Wilkins only played five games last season because of a foot injury and he remained sidelined through the team’s offseason program. News of the release was accompanied by word that the Raiders want to void the remaining guarantees on Wilkins’s contract and reports have indicated that Wilkins’s approach to rehabbing his injury may be the reason for that move.
Carroll did not shed any light on the guarantees, but he did say that the Raiders didn’t see any way that Wilkins would be able to return to action this season.
“It 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.”
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said on Friday that he anticipates the team will have a conversation about signing Wilkins, but Carroll’s answer suggests his health may continue to be a question mark with any team.
