The Bills need help at defensive tackle, but Christian Wilkins’ injury, missed season, and history with Josh Allen make him a risky fit the team should avoid.
There aren’t too many spots on the Buffalo Bills roster that feel unsettled, but defensive tackle is one of them. It’s not a glaring weakness, but it’s also not a strength you feel great about when you're shifting to a new base scheme under a new coach.
So, what can you do? For General Manager Brandon Beane, bringing in veteran players to help solidify a defensive front is an option. And there are plenty of names available, but there's also one they should steer clear of.
Christian Wilkins is the type of player who checks a lot of boxes. He’s been productive since coming out of Clemson in 2019, and he plays with energy every snap. On paper, it’s easy to imagine him making a difference. In reality, though, there are several reasons why this isn’t the move the Bills should be making.
Start with the most obvious concern: Wilkins hasn’t played since the 2024 season due to a foot injury and his subsequent release from the Las Vegas Raiders following a disagreement on how his rehab should be handled.
Bringing in a player off a missed year and expecting him to anchor the interior is a big gamble. Defensive tackle is one of the toughest positions to come back from injury at, and the Bills can’t just assume he’ll return at the same level.
Then there's the "other stuff".
After he was released, news surfaced that it was partially due to his behavior within the Raiders locker room. While it was never fully confirmed by Wilkins or the Raiders, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported via his sources that Wilkins attempted to kiss a player on the forehead, and that player "took offense to it".
There’s also the history with Josh Allen. In 2022, the two had a moment after a play at the bottom of a pile that didn’t sit well with Allen. He didn’t get into full detail, but he made it clear that something crossed a line.
"I think anybody with two eyes can understand what was going on under that pile,” Allen said at the time, while video of the moment suggests that Allen accused Wilkins of grabbing at his crotch. "There’s some things that I didn’t appreciate down there that was going on. We’ll let everyone make their own judgments for that."
Allen also noted that it was something Wilkins had been known for, going back as far as his college days.
Wilkins was fined by the league for the incident, while Allen took a penalty during the game for his reaction.
Now, obviously, this doesn't necessarily mean it would be a problem now. Players move on all the time. But when you’re already weighing injury, cost, and scheme fit, it becomes another factor.
The Bills do need help at defensive tackle. That part is real. But not every solution is worth forcing. Wilkins is a talented player, no question, but between the missed season, the fact that you’d essentially be paying for past production, and the past bad blood, it just doesn’t feel like the best path forward.
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