A surprising release from the Las Vegas Raiders is now raising questions far beyond football — and it all started with an unexpected moment between teammates behind closed doors.
Defensive lineman Christian Wilkins, one of the team’s highest-paid players, was released Thursday. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, part of the drama centers around a moment in a team meeting room when Wilkins allegedly kissed a fellow player on the head. That teammate reportedly took offense, and a complaint was filed with the team’s human resources department.
Sources say the kiss wasn’t the only reason for the move, but it may have been the final spark in a growing fire.
The Raiders have not publicly commented on the situation. Inside sources told Schefter that the interaction was described by one witness as “playful,” but the teammate involved apparently didn’t see it that way. What happened immediately after the kiss remains unclear.
BREAKING
The teammate “felt offended by it” & then reported the incident to the team.
The team already had a problem with his injury then RELEASED him.
WOW.
(Via ESPN) pic.twitter.com/7KUUXAktVJ
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) July 28, 2025
The incident was investigated by the team’s HR department, but no further details have been released about the outcome or how the complaint factored into the team’s decision.
Wilkins had signed a massive four-year, $110 million deal with Las Vegas last offseason. It included nearly $85 million in guaranteed money. But that guarantee didn’t last long.
Sources told ESPN the Raiders had already voided the remaining $35.2 million of his contract back on June 4 — weeks before the kiss incident — because of what they considered improper rehab handling following Wilkins’ foot injury last season.
Wilkins suffered a Jones fracture in his left foot last October and underwent season-ending surgery. The team reportedly felt he wasn’t following the recovery plan as expected.
That decision — to void the contract over injury rehab — led Wilkins to file a grievance through the NFL Players Association. The union officially filed the complaint on his behalf the same day he was released.
Now, one of the league’s top defensive linemen is without a team, with questions still swirling about whether his release was about behavior, injury, or both.
Wilkins came to the Raiders last season after five years with the Miami Dolphins. In 2023, he had his best season yet, recording nine sacks and becoming a key part of the Dolphins’ defense. When he joined Las Vegas, expectations were high.
Before getting injured in 2024, Wilkins managed 17 tackles, two sacks, and six quarterback hits in just five games. But his season was cut short, and now his time with the team has been, too.
As of now, no criminal allegations have been made. No public statements have been issued by Wilkins, the teammate involved, or the Raiders organization. The details surrounding the internal HR complaint remain sealed.
The league and fans are left watching and waiting — not just to see where Wilkins ends up, but to find out what really happened inside that meeting room and whether it was simply a misunderstood moment or something more serious.
