Not Re-Signing Christian Wilkins Was the Right Call, but Should the Dolphins Sign Him Now?
Christian Wilkins was a fan favorite during his time with the Miami Dolphins. His high level of play, fun sound bites, and Power Ranger-themed celebrations earned him the admiration of fans around the league. When he became a free agent after the 2023 season, many Dolphins fans wanted him back, but understood that he was going to demand a price that was too rich for Miami.
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Had they not recently invested a lot of capital into stars like Tyreek Hill and Jalen Ramsey, perhaps things would have been different. Still, with the Las Vegas Raiders releasing Wilkins after having only played five games, it is starting to look like the Dolphins may have lucked out.
The Dolphins are rarely on the other side of signing a player who suffers a terrible injury that forces them to miss time. Look no further than just this week when newly added free agent cornerback Artie Williams went down for the season with a torn ACL on the first day of training camp. What happened with Wilkins goes beyond the normal instance of a star player being injured, as he was released from his contract, and the Raiders voided $35.2 million of guaranteed salary.
The move is borderline unprecedented, and Wilkins rightfully filed a grievance with the Players Association. Las Vegas contends that Wilkins was somehow negligent in his rehab on his foot. As such, he wasn’t living up to his end of the contract, and so they believe they don’t owe him the guarantees. It’s a move that reminds us that football is ultimately a business, and a corporation will take any action it can when trying to save some money.
The move came on the heels of Pablo Torre’s investigative report shared on his show Pablo Torre Find Outs. Torre exposed questionable expenditures and conflicts of interest on the part of NFL Players Association executive director Lloyd Howell. The most damning revelation was that Howell sat on the board of private equity firm the Carlyle Group as they attempted to invest in NFL franchises. If he was set to benefit from the investments, he couldn’t serve the best interests of the players, and as such, he has resigned from both the NFLPA and the Carlyle Group.
This has led to the NFLPA being in a precarious position, lacking leadership that could fight back effectively on behalf of Wilkins in his grievance against the Raiders. It doesn’t take a genius to understand that the move was calculated, giving Las Vegas the best chance to get away without paying Wilkins what he was promised.
While Wilkins fights the Raiders, other teams around the league will be interested in his services, especially if they can be had for below market value due to his potentially winning back his voided money. Perhaps Wilkins would want to return to Miami, where his career began. The Dolphins could use a veteran presence on and off the field. A leader who can get the team to buy into a more physical style of play. The question remains on if he can play, or if the Raiders were correct in their assessment that led to the release. I think if the Dolphins can get him at a reasonable price, they should jump on it. Besides, now that he’s a veteran coming off a major injury, it feels like the exact move Miami would make.
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