Christian Wilkins upset teammate with ‘playful kiss’ before Raiders split

The Raiders’ abrupt release of star defensive tackle Christian Wilkins on Thursday wasn’t only about his lingering foot injury, and involved an alleged incident in which he playfully tried to kiss another teammate, according to multiple reports.

During a Monday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said people inside the Raiders locker room are “tip-toeing around” the matter, described as Wilkins jokingly trying to kiss a teammate on the top of his head, and that unidentified player getting offended.

Wilkins — who signed a four-year, $110 million contract, including $82.75 million guaranteed, with the Raiders last offseason — was released on Thursday with the designation of “terminated vested veteran,” due to a conflict in his rehab process for a Jones fracture suffered last October, according to NFL insider Josina Anderson.

“Christian (was) playing around,” a league source told Anderson.

The Raiders reportedly voided the remaining $35.2 million of guaranteed money left on Wilkins’ contract due to his handling of his rehab.

The NFLPA filed a grievance on Wilkins’ behalf Thursday.

“This franchise has a Commitment to Excellence on an off the field,” Raiders said in a statement on Wilkins’ release. “With no clear path or plan for future return to play from Christian, this transaction is necessary for the entire organization to move forward and prepare for the new season.”

The Raiders have yet to address any alleged locker room incident involving Wilkins. He had not received any documented write-ups since being signed by the Raiders in 2024, a league source told Anderson

Raiders head coach Pete Carroll said Friday that the club “took a long time to make our decision” about Wilkins, and that they had no choice but to move on without a clear future in sight.

“This place is about competition,” Carroll, who is entering his first season with the team, said. “It always has been. It’s wide open. I’m not going to talk about any names right now. If you watch the rotations, we’re giving everybody a chance. We’re mixing the (starters) with the (backups) all the way throughout just to gather a bunch of information.”

The Raiders open the 2025 campaign against the Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Sept. 7.