The Raiders have only one major health-related question going into training camp and head coach Pete Carroll was asked about Christian Wilkins’ surgically repaired foot in his first question at the podium on Tuesday.
“Still uncertain,” Carroll said about Wilkins’ foot. “[We] still have to wait it out.”
Carroll didn’t offer new details on Wilkins’ recovery and seemed happy to move on to the next question.
It wasn’t a surprise that Carroll didn’t share more information on Wilkins, and it sounds like the waiting game is going to continue on the team’s $110 million defensive tackle for a while longer.
Additionally, Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter commented on Wilkins injury this week and his message hasn’t changed a lot in recent days. If anything, Carpenter’s confidence that Wilkins will be back for the start of the season has dropped just a little.
“I’m not going to give an opinion. I have shared with you all along that everybody I’ve talked to expected him to be ready by the start of the season,” Carpenter said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast.
“They don’t need Christian Wilkins ready for training camp. He’s a star. They need him ready for the season,” Hondo continued.
“I’m going to tell you this. I don’t give medical opinions, but in talking to everybody I talked to, and I did not talk to everybody in the organization. I talked to three people and said, ‘What are your thoughts?’ They all were like, ‘Man, he’s doing everything that’s asked. He’s working hard’ and all of them were optimistic… Do I hear the same sense [that] he’s going to be ready for the start of the season?
“I don’t. But they’re very optimistic.”
One other comment of note came last week from former color commentator for the Raiders, Lincoln Kennedy.
“If Christian is out for at least the first month of the season, I’m not projecting it, but I’m just anticipating that it might [happen], the possibility might be there,” Kennedy said last week on the Locked on Raiders podcast.
“[If that happens] I’d expected two or three of these other defensive attackers to step up.”
x: @raidersbeat
When do you count your loses?
They remain hopeful he will be ready if not there is other options. Raiders 4 life
You are toast useless money hog. Just heard at 5:15 you are gone MF! Adios! You and deer in headlights Telesco are gone. Way to go General Spytek! So proud of you and the S&B. Let’s roll baby.