When the Las Vegas Raiders shockingly released veteran defensive tackle Christian Wilkins a few days ago, naturally, some Minnesota Vikings fans wondered if their favorite team would be interested in signing him based on his history with Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
On Monday, Flores was asked if Minnesota would have any interest in adding Wilkins, and he didn't exactly close the door on the possibility.
"I have a lot of history with Christian. You know, I kind of let [Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah] and his staff handle that side. Like we just talked about, I think we've got a group that we feel really good about, D-line-wise. But I don't mind adding more."
Minnesota Vikings not against adding former Las Vegas Raiders DL Christian Wilkins
Flores has been coaching in the NFL for a while, so he knew almost immediately after he said that he didn't mind adding more defensive linemen that those words were going to spread like wildfire.
He was, of course, correct because, well, here we are.
Flores, who coached Wilkins when the current Minnesota defensive coordinator was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019 to 2021, also added that the free-agent defensive lineman was a "very good player" and an "ascending player" when the two worked together.
No one is sure yet about the exact reason why Wilkins was released last week, just a year into his four-year, $110 million contract with Las Vegas.
Some reports have indicated that the Raiders moved on from him over disagreements about his approach to recover from a foot injury, while others have reported that an incident with a Las Vegas teammate potentially led to his departure.
After adding Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave in free agency earlier this year, the Vikings aren't exactly in a huge need of adding another notable name to their defensive line right now.
Could things change in the future? Sure, if someone like Allen, Hargrave, or Harrison Phillips were to suffer a significant injury, then Minnesota signing Wilkins would probably become a more legitimate possibility.
But, for now, the former Raiders defensive lineman is better off looking elsewhere for a new home in the NFL before the 2025 season begins in September.