Raiders Suffer Devastating Blow - Star DT Christian Wilkins Lost for the Season

Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Christian Wilkins will be out indefinitely after having surgery for a Jones fracture in his foot and will go on injured reserve, NFL Network reported Tuesday. Wilkins, in his first season with the Raiders (2-3), signed a five-year contract worth up to $110 million in April. This move will not only impact the team's future plans in terms of contracts, but it will also take a significant toll on the overall performance of the Raiders defense.

The injury comes at a critical time in the season as the Raiders look to build momentum after an inconsistent start. The defensive line has been an area of focus for the team, and losing a key player like Wilkins for an extended period could be a significant setback. The Raiders will now have to scramble to find a suitable replacement and restructure their defensive strategy to compensate for the loss.

The impact of losing Christian Wilkins should not be taken lightly. The stats showed that the Raiders had a relatively solid defensive front, but the numbers can be deceiving when you lose a talent like that. To give you an example, Christian averages around 3 tackles and one sack per game. We still don't know how this will be impacted considering the amount of time he will be away from the game.

Now that his addition to the IR is official, Christian will have to go through a minimum of 4 weeks on the IR. Following this he will have to pass an in person evaluation before being cleared to train. The problem is that given the injury he will be likely out for the season due to the minimum recuperation period of 12-16 weeks from Jones fractures in the foot. This isn't something you come back from easily.