If you’ve been watching and/or reading closely, you may have noticed a hint or two that the release of Raiders defensive tackle Christian Wilkins may have related to something other than a dispute over his lingering foot injury. Or, more accurately, that the Raiders could try to point to something other than a disagreement over how to repair the injury to justify not paying him more than $35.2 million in remaining guaranteed money.
While the specifics have yet to leak, there’s definitely something dangling. In the media ecosystem, some junk that has been making the rounds. Something that has yet to be properly fleshed out for reliable reporting.
Josina Anderson recently posted an article that contains an even stronger indication as to the “something else” that could become an issue.
“Some league sources believe an incident involving a teammate may have factored in-part into the Raiders’ fatigue and release of defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, beyond the management of his foot injury as the reported predominant cause,” Anderson wrote. “The Raiders have not officially confirmed an incident or a complaint involving Wilkins and a teammate, while another direct league source confirmed awareness of a situation in which ‘Christian (was) playing around.’”
One key as to whether that alleged incident will become a factor in the legal fight is whether the Raiders released Wilkins for something like “personal conduct that has adversely affected” the Raiders. That’s how the Ravens framed the release of safety Earl Thomas in 2020, in an effort to avoid his otherwise guaranteed salary.
Remember, a “full guarantee” isn’t. It means that the player is guaranteed to receive the money if he’s released due to injury, skill, or the salary cap. He can, in theory, be released for other reason(s) that would provoke such a move — including “personal conduct that has adversely affected” the team.
