The Christian Wilkins saga has been one of the more interesting storylines to follow this offseason and while the former Clemson star has been on the wrong side of some headlines, he's still forging a path back to playing, but he'll have to do so with a different team.
Earlier this offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders parted ways with Wilkins because of how he was handling his foot injury recovery. The organization decided to release him.
The news shocked the NFL as Wilkins was just acquired by the Raiders last offseaosn but played in just five games due to that foot injury. He was expected to be a major piece on that defensive line next to Maxx Crosby, but that never really took shape as he missed most of the season.
Now, he's looking for a new home as his contract was terminated in Las Vegas.
Obviously Wilkins is going to be a coveted player heading into the 2025 season where he may be ready by the start of the season but a setback says otherwise. One team is standing out already as its head coach already hinted at the idea of looking into adding him.
Mike Vrabel says the Patriots will look into Christian Wilkins, who is going to be released by the Raiders. pic.twitter.com/t5LMWMTvjT
— Sean T. McGuire (@BySeanMcGuire) July 25, 2025
Wilkins, a native of Massachusetts, could opt to return home for the 2025 season and sign a deal with the New England Patriots to help lock down that defensive line for years to come.
And honestly, the Patriots could probably get him for a bargain because his sudden release by the Raiders may scare some other teams off.
It'll be interesting to see if he returns home to play for the team he grew up rooting for but either way, Wilkins should be on an NFL roster in 2025 with the stat line he's put up in his career.