Patriots Tied To Controversial Former 1st-Rd Defensive Tackle
The New England Patriots could consider signing former Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.
Patriots Tied To Controversial Former 1st-Rd Defensive Tackle originally appeared on NESN . Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The New England Patriots have a 335-pound hole to fill on their defensive line after fan-favorite defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga received a much-deserved payday from the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency.
Boston sports writer Sophia Weller introduced an intriguing fix to New England’s problem that involves controversial former-star defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. Wilkins was a top-15 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. He played out his rookie contract with the Miami Dolphins before signing a massive deal with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024.
He played just five games under his new four-year, $100 million deal before the Raiders cut ties with him entirely. The complications between the two parties extend far past Wilkins’ shoddy recovery from his foot injury that ended his 2024 season. Last year, Wilkins was dismissed from the team after a bizarre locker room interaction with a teammate.
The official report of what may have transpired in the Raiders locker room is that Wilkins “playfully kissed” a teammate on his head, and the teammate took offense to it. The Raiders maintain that he was cut for a failure to maintain his physical condition after he mishandled his injury recovery. Whatever the case may be, when Wilkins is healthy, he is capable of being a double-digit sack guy in the interior of the defensive line.