Miami Dolphins newcomer Clelin Ferrell 's ties to former first-round pick Christian Wilkins were well established when he joined the team last week, and now he's saying his former college teammate might have played a role in bringing him to South Florida.
Ferrell and Wilkins played together at Clemson on the same defensive line as Dexter Lawrence before all three of them became first-round picks in the 2019 draft.
Wilkins came to Miami and spent five seasons with the Dolphins before joining the Las Vegas Raiders as a free agent in the spring of 2024.
Ferrell was drafted by the Raiders, but he was on his third NFL team by the time Wilkins got to Las Vegas and he played last season with the San Francisco 49ers.
"Honestly, for me, it came down to either going back to San Fran or coming down here," Ferrell said after practice Monday. "Obviously, my best friend played here, starting out his first four years, Christian Wilkins, and he just told me a lot of good things about the people here, the culture here. Actually, me and my other best friend, Dexter Lawrence, we bought a house out here after my rookie year, so it's just kind of funny how God works."
While Ferrell has a new team and Lawrence is preparing for his first season with the Cincinnati Bengals after being acquired in a trade from the New York Giants, Wilkins remains unemployed at the moment.
His time with the Raiders ended abruptly and controversially, with the team voiding some $35.2 million of guaranteed money in a dispute over how Wilkins handled his rehabilitation from a foot injury that cut short his 2024 season.
There has been no public reporting of any settlement or resolution after the NFLPA filed a grievance on Wilkins' behalf, and ongoing litigation with a franchise might make other franchies hesitant to sign him.
Ferrell was asked about Wilkins' plans, specifically whether he wanted to return to the NFL this season, and was pretty clear.
"I think if you know Christian, I think everybody knows what his mindset is with football for sure," Ferrell said. "For sure. I don't have to speak for him. He could do that.
"He's alive, well, and doing great. That's why he looks good, still handsome, still smiling. So, I mean, he's doing great. You know what I mean? Hopefully, you know, he gets a phone call someday from a team that likes him. But now he's doing good. He's doing really good."
While some Dolphins fans would love for Wilkins to return to Miami and reunite with Zach Sieler , we'll say what we said before, that move would make no sense for the Dolphins.
Wilkins will turn 31 in December and hasn't played in almost two years, and he simply doesn't fit the mold of the kind of player the Dolphins have brought in this year. And that's not even addressing the issue of the Dolphins drafting not one, not two but three defensive tackles just a year ago.
Who knows what kind of player Wilkins will look like if/when he returns to action, but regardless he's not likely to make the difference for the rebuilding Dolphins in 2026 and then there's the issue of his age and contract demands.
All that said, it still would be good to see him back on an NFL roster.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/dolphins/onsi as Wilkins Updates: How He Helped Sell Ferrell on the Dolphins, His Plans for 2026 .
