Dolphins Stars, Coach Tackle Wilkins Situation

Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins has the support of his teammates and head coach as he looks for a new contract

HOUSTON — Xavien Howard couldn't help but laugh when he was asked about Christian Wilkins' hold-in as his Miami Dolphins teammate looks for a new contract.

After all, it wasn't that long ago that Howard was in the same situation.

“I knew you were going to ask me this," Howard said with a smile.

Then asked for his advice, Howard simply said: “Get your money. Get your money. I can’t say anything else, man.”

Howard eventually did get his money after a turbulent 2021 summer, one that reached the point where he requested a trade via Instagram before getting his contract adjusted with a promise to revisit it the next offseason, at which time the Dolphins gave him a new deal.

Howard was asked about the importance of taking care of the business side of things.

“At the end of the day, you’ve got to make sure you’re ready to play football also, though — no matter what you’re going through — because there’s like, some guys just focus on getting paid and stuff like that," Howard said. "Then they forget that you’ve still got to play football if you get paid or if you don’t. You’ve still got to perform. So it’s like, you’ve just got to take care of it and just be a pro. And I’m sure he’s going to do that because he’s a pro.”

ARMSTEAD CONFIDENT

Pro Bowl tackle Terron Armstead also was asked about Wilkins' hold-in after the joint practice with the Houston Texans on Wednesday.

“Christian is a dawg," Armstead said. "We need him. We need him to win. There’s no question. So he knows what he needs to be ready, to be prepared. He practices and plays harder than anybody I’ve ever seen. You never worry about a guy like him.

"We need him. The organization knows we need him. I’m pretty sure they’ll figure out something whether it’s stock options or whatever to get the job done.”

MIKE McDANIEL COMFORTABLE

Wilkins hasn't taken part in team periods since he took the first snap of the first joint practice with the Atlanta Falcons last week after getting off to a tremendous start in training camp.

He also didn't miss any of the offseason program despite his clear desire to land the kind of contract so many other high-end defensive tackles around the NFL have gotten in 2023.

As it stands now, Wilkins is scheduled to earn $10.7 million on the fifth-year option of the rookie contract he signed as a first-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft.

McDaniel has sung Wilkins' praises as a player and a leader on numerous occasions and it's pretty clear he views Wilkins as a foundational piece for the Dolphins defense.

“Christian is such a good player, such an important person in the locker room, who has made it clear that he feels that his play is deserving of a contract," McDaniel said before practice Wednesday. "We would agree, as the Miami Dolphins organization, henceforth we are in negotiations. As a result, he’s hasn’t been participating in team (drills). When he next participates, that will be up to him.”

McDaniel then was asked whether he was comfortable with where things stand.

“Every player is like a snowflake, I would say, unique to itself," he replied. "So I’m comfortable with the situation as it stands. Christian and I are in constant communication, and this is part of the business that a lot of teams are dealing with.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for reading. Make sure to bookmark this site and check back daily for the latest Dolphins news and analysis year-round. Check out our daily podcast (All Dolphins Podcast) on YouTube and also available wherever you get your audio podcasts under Miami Dolphins Insider on the Fans First Sports Network. Also, you can follow me on Twitter at @PoupartNFL, and that's where you can ask questions for the regular All Dolphins mailbags. You also can ask questions via email at fnalldolphins@yahoo.com.