The NFL season is still months away, but that’s not stopping the news cycle from churning. The Miami Dolphins pulled off a blockbuster trade that sent Jalen Ramsey and a seventh-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for Minkah Fitzpatrick and Jonnu Smith.
It was no secret that Miami was shopping Ramsey despite only being with the team for two seasons. Las Vegas Raiders running back Raheem Mostert spent the last three seasons with the Dolphins, including a Pro Bowl campaign in 2023.
The team didn’t bring him back this offseason, and it seems like that could be a sore subject. After the Ramsey trade, he took to social media to black his former team.
“Hot take: Be a Pro-bowler on the Dolphins, get treated like (expletive). Happy for my guys though! GO BALL OUT!!” Mostert wrote on X.
Mostert didn’t elaborate, but it seems like he didn’t think he was treated fairly by the Dolphins franchise. Players being upset with their former teams isn’t a new story, but there have been questions about the culture in Miami. Having high-character players like Mostert call them out in public isn’t going to quiet those questions.
Raiders Still Hoping Former Dolphins Gets Healthy
The Raiders have another former Dolphin on the roster who wasn’t able to get a new contract from the team. Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins signed a massive four-year contract with Las Vegas last season after Miami decided against bringing him back.
However, this may have been a situation where the Dolphins were right to let a player walk. Wilkins looked great for the Raiders at the start of last season before an injury knocked him out for a year. Unfortunately, he’s still not healthy. The Athletic asked a lingering question for each team ahead of training camp, and Wilkins’ status was at the top of the list for Las Vegas.
“The Raiders’ star defensive tackle suffered a Jones fracture in his left foot last October and had season-ending surgery,” Tashan Reed wrote. “The recovery timeline is typically three to four months, but Wilkins still wasn’t able to practice during OTAs. He wore a walking boot after surgery, but had progressed enough to get out of it by the end of last season. Then, earlier this offseason, he was placed back into the walking boot, according to team sources. While he was back out of the walking boot by the start of OTAs, he wasn’t ready to practice. Coach Pete Carroll acknowledged that Wilkins’ recovery has been “difficult” and hasn’t given a timeline for his return to action.”
What Happens if Wilkins Can’t Play in 2025?
Wilkins not being able to play in 2025 would be a big problem for the Raiders. He’s one of their most expensive players and is an elite defensive tackle when healthy.
He’s supposed to form a strong duo with defensive end Maxx Crosby. If he’s out for the year, that won’t derail the entire season, but it will limit how good the defense can be. With the Raiders having an inexperienced secondary, it’s going to be important to get after the quarterback. It’ll be a lot harder to do that without Wilkins.
