The Raiders are hopeful that they will have star defensive tackle Christian Wilkins at the start of the 2025 season, but they storyline around Wilkins’ foot has taken a lot of turns since April, when it was first reported that he had suffered a setback involving the surgically repaired bone in his foot.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vinny Bonsignore speculated last week that Wilkins has already undergone a second procedure on the foot, and Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter shared his thoughts a few days later on his podcast.
Carpenter has been one of the more optimistic beat writers covering the Raiders when it comes to Wilkins’ foot, but he made a small pivot last week on what he has been hearing.
“I have told you that everyone I speak to expected him to be ready for the start of the season. I have heard nothing from anyone that has changed that expectation,” Carpenter said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast.
“They think it, but it’s not… ‘Oh, he’ll be ready for the start of the season.’ It’s ‘Oh, I think he will.’ They’re still confident of it. It’s just not exactly at the level of confidence I heard them earlier, but I still don’t hear doubt.”
After everything that has been reported on Wilkins, including a report suggesting his season could be in jeopardy, it’s hard to take “not exactly the same level of confidence” as great news.
Understandably, the Raiders are being tight-lipped about Wilkins’ injury, and there’s a good chance we won’t get any concrete information on his foot until the start of training camp.
The rookies will report to Henderson, Nevada for training camp on July 17 and the veterans begin on July 22.
Expect the Raiders to take a cautious approach with Wilkins and if he’s on the field for any portions of training camp, it would be the first hint of good news in a while.
Last week, on the Vegas Nation podcast floated a theory last week on what might have caused the initial setback to Wilkins’ foot.
“It’s just speculation a little bit, but there’s also, it’s been suggested very loosely that [Wilkins] going so hard to try to come back is what caused, maybe potentially, him to [experience] a setback. And that’s often why teams have to save players from themselves,” The Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Adam Hill said on Tuesday.
“And, you know, in this case, it seemed like Christian Wilkins was very, very eager to get back on the field.”
x: @raidersbeat
Cut him sooner than later. Telesco crap good reason he’s gone
Stupid comment.
First, he is young and injured for the first time in his career. NOT INJURY PRONE.
Second, no one could predict a Jones fracture. NO ONE.
Third, the team is into this contract for $82 million. There is time to wait it out.
Now is the time to get behind the team and it’s players. Not call out players (top 5 elite ones no less) for getting hurt. It’s like you would kick your mom out of the house for getting hurt making your dinner. Just stupid.