Christian Wilkins, the previous Miami Dolphins star and one of many Las Vegas Raiders’ greatest low season signings, has been launched—and it’s not nearly soccer.
The defensive sort out, who signed a large four-year, $110 million deal simply final yr, is not with the crew after a sequence of off-field points that got here to a head this summer season. One of many key incidents? A brow kiss.
In response to a number of reviews, Wilkins kissed a teammate on the pinnacle throughout a crew assembly, which he allegedly noticed as light-hearted. However the teammate didn’t take it that method and went straight to HR with a criticism. That one second reportedly set off a series of issues for Wilkins contained in the locker room.
However the kiss wasn’t the one factor inflicting friction. Wilkins had been coping with a severe foot harm—particularly a Jones fracture—and he reportedly clashed with the Raiders’ medical employees. The crew advisable surgical procedure, however Wilkins pushed again, choosing rehab as an alternative. That call didn’t sit nicely with the entrance workplace.
Mix that with the HR difficulty, and the Raiders determined to drag the plug.
Wilkins solely performed 5 video games with the crew, racking up 17 tackles and two sacks earlier than being shut down because of the harm. Similar to that, one of many highest-paid defensive tackles in NFL historical past was out—and the crew can be attempting to void over $35 million in ensures from his deal.
Now Wilkins is submitting a grievance with the NFL Gamers Affiliation to combat for his cash.
Head coach Pete Carroll didn’t say a lot, solely that the choice took time and wasn’t rushed. As for teammates and insiders, the entire state of affairs appears messy. Some reviews say the crew’s management is urging gamers to give attention to “psychological well being” and preserve issues in-house.
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