The Las Vegas Raiders entered their game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday missing over five starters.
The Raiders have long taken pride in their ability to develop their less notable players. After announcing stars such as All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams and star defensive end Maxx Crosby would be out against the Browns with injuries, Coach Antonio Peirce and the Raiders turned to their reserve players to make an impact on the game.
The Raiders signed defensive lineman Christian Wilkins to a massive deal worth over $100 million. Still, the veteran enjoyed watching the Raiders’ younger players step up. He noted how good it felt to witness.
"It's definitely so nice to see because that's just how this league goes,” Wilkins said. “You never know when your opportunity is going to come. You're never going to know when you have to be counted on by your teammate, coaches, whoever, when your number is called, and when it is time to see guys perform in high-stakes situations when the game's on the line.
“Even [Isaiah] Pola-Mao, there's just a lot of guys who were able to step up and come up big when we needed them the most. So, that was definitely great to see, and it's just nice as a guy having some perspective now to being able to see that and just be like, 'Man, I love that for those guys.' Love them to be able to have those moments and step up big for us."
Wilkins said that the experience and success younger players gained on Sunday was priceless and that doing it in practice is significantly different than doing it in a game. Wilkins appreciated the team’s lesser-known players' productive games.
"Well, definitely it just shows that you can do it, and just being able to hopefully show up consistently and continue to build and just keep stacking that because we all put in a lot of work, and I know it's real rewarding for those guys,” Wilkins said. “You definitely get a lot of respect from your peers to be able to do it when bullets are live, and it's a game. It's different when you're out there at practice and stuff, but for guys to step up like that and show what they can do when the game's on the line, that's huge."
