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Antonio Pierce’s first season as the Las Vegas Raiders’ full-time head coach couldn’t have gone any worse.
All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams has reportedly requested a trade, but Pierce is still figuring out who his starting QB will be after switching from Gardner Minshew to Aidan O’Connell this week, and the Raiders currently have two They will be without one of their best defenders in the AFC West, which is in last place with three wins and losses.
Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, who Las Vegas signed to a four-year, $110 million contract in free agency this offseason, suffered a Jones fracture in his foot in Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos, according to NFL Media. Wilkins, 28, will undergo surgery and be sidelined for the time being. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the typical timetable for recovery from a Jones fracture is three to four months. However, if a bone graft is required to repair the fracture, healing may take longer. Las Vegas officially placed him on injured reserve on Wednesday.
Asked about Wilkins on Wednesday, Pierce said, “I’m tired of losing good players. That’s never a good thing.” “But I’ll tell you, Christian was pretty dominant in the first half (against the Broncos in Week 5) up until that point. One sack, two TFLs, running around, but that started early in the second quarter. It happened and he kept playing.” It was really tough. Christian immediately went and fixed it. He was here at 6 o’clock this morning getting ready and I know Christian and his work ethic, so that’s obvious. It’s a shame. We’ve been dealing with that next-man-up mentality since Thursday before the Chargers game (in Week 1) and we’ll continue to deal with it.”
Wilkins ranks second on the team with two sacks, trailing Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby’s five in 2024. There are still 12 games left in the current regular season, but it may be time for Las Vegas to start putting in the effort. We’re seeing more and more tape regarding the 2025 NFL Draft class.
