Raiders Get Bad News on Former Dolphins DT Christian Wilkins’ Health Status originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

During his five seasons with the Miami Dolphins, Christian Wilkins made a name for himself as one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL and one of the best Dolphins’ defenders in recent history. Wilkins was the 13th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, and notched 20.5 sacks in five seasons with the Dolphins before signing a mega four-year $110 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024.

Wilkins’ first season in Las Vegas was hindered by injury. He played in just five games and had two sacks and two tackles for loss before suffering a foot injury in Week 5 against the Denver Broncos. That injury ended Wilkins’ 2024 season early, and it now has the chance to stall the former Dolphin’s return in 2025.

Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Raiders have placed Wilkins on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list to start training camp. Wilkins underwent surgery for the foot injury in October 2024, and Raiders head coach Pete Carroll said back in May that Wilkins had “a difficult recovery” but “has done everything he needs to do.”

Wilkins was the Raiders’ big-name free agent signing back in 2024, and pairing him with Maxx Crosby, Adam Butler, and Malcolm Koonce was going to give the Raiders one of the strongest defensive lines in the NFL. Wilkins flashed early as the Raiders started the 2024 season 2-2, but his injury also coincided with the team losing its next 10 games before finishing with a 4-13 record. Amidst that losing streak, the Raiders were defeated 19-34 by the Dolphins.

“It’s been a difficult recovery and he’s done everything he needs to do,” Carroll said, per Mark Anderson of the Associated Press. “He’s been here every day. He’s here early, working hard. He’s not ready to get back out. We’re in the midst of a long, challenging process. Fortunately, there’s a lot of time and we’re going to take every bit of it to be really diligent about the way we work.”

It’s a crushing blow for a Raiders team that has a bit of hype around it heading into 2025, and as of now, there’s no timetable for Wilkins’ return, but hopefully, the former Dolphins star can be on the field sooner rather than later.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.