Christian Wilkins was cut by the Raiders after a teammate complained about a kiss in the locker room
NFL Player Dropped Out of $110M Deal After “Playful” Forehead Peck and Rehab Drama
One of the major off-season additions to the Las Vegas Raiders, Christian Wilkins, a former Miami Dolphin, was released, and his release goes beyond football.
The defensive tackle, who just last year inked a huge four-year, $110 million contract, is no longer with the organization due to a string of off-field problems that escalated this summer. One of the major events? kissing the forehead.
Wilkins kissed a teammate on the head at a team meeting, which he reportedly thought was amusing, according to several reports. However, the colleague didn’t see it that way and filed a complaint with HR right away. According to reports, Wilkins’ troubles inside the locker room started with just one incident.
However, there was more than just the kiss that was causing conflict. According to reports, Wilkins suffered a major foot injury—more precisely, a Jones fracture—and had a falling out with the Raiders’ medical team. Wilkins refused the team’s suggestion of surgery, choosing instead to undergo rehabilitation. Front office staff didn’t like that choice.
When the Raiders added the HR problem to that, they made the decision to terminate the contract.
Before being shut down because of the injury, Wilkins only appeared in five games with the team, recording 17 tackles and two sacks. One of the highest-paid defensive lineman in NFL history was suddenly cut, and the team is attempting to void the more than $35 million in guarantees he received from his contract.
To get his money back, Wilkins is now submitting a grievance to the NFL Players Association.
Pete Carroll, the head coach, said the decision was not made hastily and took time. The entire situation appears to be chaotic with regard to teammates and insiders. According to some accounts, players are being urged by the team’s leadership to keep things internal and concentrate on their “mental health.”
