Would Bengals take the risk on free agent Christian Wilkins?
The free agent market for Christian Wilkins is heating up. Would the Bengals have an interest?
The Cincinnati Bengals added to the defensive line’s interior with Jonathan Allen in NFL free agency , hoping that his arrival alongside new edge rusher Boye Mafe will spark a defensive turnaround. But the Bengals aren’t done. They’re bound to add more front-seven help in free agency and perhaps as early as 10th overall in the NFL draft.
Looking at the open market right now, that loops us to an interesting question: What about Christian Wilkins? Wilkins, the 13th pick in 2019, remains on the open market. But according to ESPN's Adam Schefter , 26 teams have shown an interest in him while he works back from a Jones fracture in his foot suffered in 2024.
There’s some important quick backstory on Wilkins, though. He was cut by Las Vegas in July 2025 with reports saying the cause was how he handled rehab. For those who don’t know, Schefter also reported that Wilkins was involved in an incident in which he allegedly kissed a teammate on the head, who took offense to it and reported it to human resources.
Strange backstory out of the way, Wilkins had lived up to his draft billing in Miami with 20. 5 sacks and 43 tackles for loss, earning a $110 million deal over four years with the Raiders. He’s still 30 years old and versatile.