Davante Adams may well depart the Raiders shortly. The team will also be without one of its key veterans on the defensive side of the ball for an extended period.
Christian Wilkins underwent surgery to repair a Jones fracture he suffered on Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. As a result of the procedure, the high-priced free agent will be out indefinitely, with Rapoport adding an IR stint is coming. Injured reserve will require at least a four-game absence, but a lengthier one would not come as a surprise.
Wilkins exceled against the run in particular during his five-year Miami tenure. He posted a career-high nine sacks last season, though, and that production in the pass-rushing department helped his market value considerably. The 28-year-old inked a four-year, $110M deal with the Raiders and, in doing so, became one of the latest defensive tackles to cash in on the position’s surge in value.
That commitment added considerably to Vegas’ expectations along the defensive front for 2024 and beyond. All-Pro edge-rusher Maxx Crosby remains in place through 2026 on his restructured deal, but he was counted on more heavily than usual given the season-ending injury suffered by
Malcolm Koonce. Now that Wilkins will miss considerable time, the Raiders D-line will be significantly short-handed aside from Crosby.
John Jenkins has started every game for Vegas so far on the interior, logging a 52% snap share along the way. That figure could increase with Wilkins (who racked up 17 tackles and a pair of sacks before suffering the injury) out of the picture for the foreseeable future. The likes of Adam Butler, Jonah Laulu and Nesta Jade Silvera round out the remaining healthy options on depth chart at the defensive tackle spot, and they will compete for increased snaps moving forward.
Wilkins is on the books through 2027, and his pact includes major guarantees next season as well as his 2025 base salary ($25.25M) vesting early this spring. Returning to full health will thus be critical for team and player, but it will be quite some time until that is the case.