“Every day he’s here early, working hard, but we’re still working,” the Raiders head coach, Pete Carroll, said of defensive tackle Christian Wilkins in May. “He’s not ready to get back out. We’re in the midst of a long, challenging process. Fortunately, there’s a lot of time, and we’re going to take every bit of it.” Wilkins’ 2024 campaign came to a halt in week 5 after suffering a Jones fracture in his left foot. An injury that required immediate surgery and ended his season prematurely.

He has stayed around the team and attacked rehab the way you’d expect from a guy in a contract year. But multiple sources indicated his progress hasn’t been linear. By early 2025, he was spotted in a walking boot again, raising some internal concern about whether there had been a setback or issues with the surgical hardware. As camp opens, he still hasn’t returned to football activity.

All things considered, it’s safe to say that the seventh-year DT is uncertain to fully show up for his second-straight season in Vegas. Which is why, Tom Brady’s Raiders, on Friday, July 18, announced that they have placed Wilkins on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. That means the 29-year-old DT is eligible to return at any time during the training camp or the preseason, under the NFL’s PUP list rules. But here’s where things could get a little murky. The real question isn’t if he can return—it’s when, and in what shape.

If Wilkins fails to recover before the 53-man roster deadline, expect him to miss out on at least four games before being eligible to return. A former first-round pick, the guy spent five seasons in Miami, started every game that he played but two, and recorded 355 tackles (204 solo) and 20.5 sacks before arriving in Vegas. That’s the kind of foundation piece worth building around, and last season, that’s exactly what Brady’s Raiders did.

The Raiders signed Wilkins on a four-year, $110.75 million deal, including $84.75 million in guarantees. But then came a week 5 foot injury that abruptly interrupted his season, ending a 56-game streak. Wilkins wrapped up his first season in Vegas with five starts, recording 17 tackles and 2.0 sacks. “We’ve really tried to be really diligent in the way we’ve worked it and the way we’ve wanted it and all that, and he’s been on board the whole time. But it has been challenging,” Carroll added.

With training camp and the preseason looming, Tom Brady and the Raiders are hoping for Wilkins to recover before the 53-man roster deadline, as the owner, Mark Davis, eyes a successful season.

Mark Davis knows how Raiders will have a winning season

The Raiders are different this year. From a roster shuffle to a coaching staff upgrade, Mark Davis has finally gotten a team worthy enough to show up in January next year. And there are a lot of ways we can measure their success for the upcoming season. For instance, the Raiders brought Pete Carroll and John Spytek to the fold.

Add their precise roster moves, including Geno Smith’s trade to add stability to the most crucial position, and reuniting him with ex-Seahawks coach Carroll. Complementing that, the team reinforced other key areas: they re-signed Maxx Crosby, retained pass rusher Malcolm Koonce, and added veterans like Alex Cappa (guard), Jeremy Chinn (safety), and Elandon Roberts (linebacker).

But when the Raiders’ owner was asked what he considers success, he had a simple yet positive answer. “We are always positive. We always feel that we can win the Super Bowl at this time this year. That is what our goal is. That would be success. Progress is also success, but getting the ultimate prize is really what we are after,” Davis said at the Battle for Vegas charity softball event, setting huge positive expectations for his team.

To spice it up, Tom Brady is now entering his second year as the Raiders’ minority owner. And you could feel the high expectations from Coach Carroll from a seven-time Super Bowl champ as well. “He’s keeping track everything, we talk regularly. He’s really close with John [Spytek], and they have a great relationship so that we can add the richness that he offers.” Carroll said.

“He’s going to have a blast doing this. He’s so excited about it, so involved with everything. We’re trying to do a good job of really keeping him connected so he really can be at the edge of giving the advice and helping us make decisions in a way it’s representative of ownership.” Taken all together, the Raiders have every reason to be cautious with Christian Wilkins’s injury—but even with that in mind, there’s still plenty of reason to believe this team is set up for a strong, successful season