Defensive tackle is recovering from a foot injury
The Las Vegas Raiders held their second OTA session on Wednesday, May 21, and defensive tackle Christian Wilkins was present but wasn’t participating in the practice. Defensive end Malcolm Koonce also didn’t practice, which is expected as Koonce is recovering from a torn ACL that prematurely ended his season last year and is still rehabbing the knee.
According to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, Wilkins didn’t have a helmet and wasn’t participating in the Raiders’ drills and did the same thing on Monday, the first OTA session in Las Vegas.
#Raiders DT Christian Wilkins is at practice but doesn’t have a helmet and isn’t participating in drills. He did the same thing Monday, per source.
— Tashan Reed (@tashanreed) May 21, 2025
The veteran defensive tackle, who signed a four-year, $110 million contract in free agency during the 2024 offseason, is recovering from a Jones fracture in his left foot that limited him to just five games last season. Recently, it was rumored that Wilkins suffered a setback in his recovery.
“His injured foot was placed in a walking boot, but he was out of it by the end of the season,” Reed wrote on May 19. “Then, earlier this offseason, his foot was placed back in a boot, according to team sources. He was back out of the boot during OTA workouts recently, but the back-and-forth has raised questions about his recovery process. The Raiders have stayed quiet about Wilkins. Whether he’s at practice or not — and what he’s able to do if he’s there — will provide more clarity.”
Given that he’s sat out of the team’s first two practices this week, it would appear that Wilkins did suffer a setback. Also, head coach Pete Carroll weighed in on the injury and said (h/t ESPN’s Ryan McFadden): “He’s not ready to get back out. And we’re in the midst of a long, challenging process. So fortunately, there’s a lot of time.”
With Wilkins sitting out, Adam Butler, Jonah Laulu, Tonka Hemingway and JJ Pegeus will get extra reps this spring.
Butler is an eight-year pro who made 16 starts (17 games) a year ago and re-signed to a three-year, $16.5 million contract in free agency. He filled in for Wilkins last season and will be expected to do the same if Wilkins misses more time.
Laulu enters his second year in the league and with the club after getting claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Chargers. He played in all 17 games, making seven starts and recording 35 tackles with one sack. Meanwhile, Hemingway was a fourth-round pick out of South Carolina in last month’s draft, and Pegues was a sixth-rounder out of Ole Miss.
The three young defensive tackles stand to benefit the most from the extra reps created by Wilkins not participating in OTAs.