The Kansas City Chiefs need some help on their defensive line, and could find it in a former rival who was released from his former team while being embroiled in controversy.
The Chiefs lost two significant pieces of their defensive line with the departures of Mike Danna and Charles Omenihu in free agency. One insider believes they could fill some of the void with Christian Wilkins, an accomplished defensive tackle who is looking to find a new team after his abrupt release by the Las Vegas Raiders last season.
As ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported, Wilkins is looking to return to the NFL with a new team in 2026 after going unsigned for months last season.
“Free-agent DT Christian Wilkins fully intends to play this season, but still is rehabbing his foot injury, per his agent David Mulugheta,” Schefter shared in a post on X. “So far 26 teams have reached out and are waiting for Wilkins to be ready, and Wilkins is expected to have a new home as soon as he wants.”
Wilkins was released in July, with ESPN reporting that he “kissed a fellow player on the head and the teammate took offense to it.”
“The incident was not the sole reason Wilkins was cut, sources said. Wilkins has been recovering from a Jones fracture, which he suffered in his left foot last October,” the report added. “Because of how Wilkins has treated the rehab from his injury, the Raiders voided the remaining $35.2 million of guaranteed money left on his contract June 4, sources said.”
There had been ongoing controversy regarding Wilkins, who has also gotten into trouble on the field during his career. He has been fined in the past, including once for a below-the-belt hit on Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
SI.com’s Logan Lazarczyk believes the Chiefs could make a run at Wilkins, despite the controversy of his exit from Las Vegas. Lazarczyk wrote that it would be a “complicated” decision, with the Chiefs likely wanting Wilkins to take a discount.
“The defensive line has been shaky outside of Chris Jones, which has spurred Kansas City’s front office to invest draft capital and financial capital, specifically in the interior,” Lazarczyk wrote. “The Chiefs drafted defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft and signed former New England Patriots defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga to a three-year, $21-million contract this offseason.”
The Chiefs would likely face some tough competition, especially given Schefter’s report that close to the entire league is interested in Wilkins. It will likely come down to the contract they can offer, and whether Wilkins views the Chiefs as a title contender after the team struggled in 2025 and missed the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade.
The Chiefs could be among the most motivated suitors, however. Adding Wilkins could help the Chiefs move beyond their defensive struggles of last season, giving a major boost in their quest to return to the playoffs.
While the move carries undeniable risk given the off-field questions, the potential reward is equally clear: a proven interior disruptor who could immediately elevate a unit that has lacked consistent depth behind Chris Jones. Whether Kansas City ultimately pulls off what many around the league are already calling a calculated “theft” from their divisional enemy remains to be seen—but with 26 teams already circling, the clock is ticking, and the NFL is watching closely.
