It Was Only A Kiss?

Inside the shocking release and grievance filed on behalf of DT Christian Wilkins 🏈

Author

Sideline Sports Law
August 07, 2025

Apparently “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers applies to the NFL:

“It was only a kiss, how did it end up like this?”

After suffering a Jones fracture last October, Wilkins and the Raiders haven’t seen eye to eye regarding the defensive tackle’s recovery. Specifically, Wilkins opted out of a second surgery the team wanted him to have.

After that, along with a playful kiss involving one of his teammates, Wilkins was released by the Raiders in a shocking move in late July.

Even more shocking?

The Raiders are looking to void the remaining $35.2M in guaranteed money on Wilkins’ contract, which led to the NFL Players Association filing a grievance on behalf of Wilkins.

Here’s the full breakdown:

How We Got Here

A brief timeline to get up to speed:

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