Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins has ended his hold-in as he prepares for the regular season, he told reporters Tuesday.
Wilkins had withheld himself from team drills for the past two weeks in an effort to jump-start a contract extension with Miami. The 2019 first-round pick is entering the final season of his rookie deal and expressed interest in a new contract throughout the offseason.
Wilkins and the Dolphins could not agree to terms on an extension, as Wilkins' representatives were not agreeable to the guarantee structure of the contract proposals, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Wilkins said he won't let any contract uncertainty impact his focus this season.
"At this point, I'm just focused on being the best teammate I can be and being there for my guys, and getting ready to play a game again," he said. "As far as that's concerned, whether or not something gets done, I'm focused on the season -- we've got a game to play in two weeks."
Teams reached out to the Dolphins to try to trade for Wilkins, but Miami was not interested in dealing him and he was not interested in playing elsewhere this season, a source told Schefter.
Wilkins told reporters he never considered demanding a trade.
The Dolphins did sign a defensive tackle to a contract extension this week, locking in Zach Sieler to a three-year deal worth up to $39 million. Coach Mike McDaniel said Sieler's contract is "independent" of their situation with Wilkins, and Wilkins expressed joy for his teammate's new deal.
Wilkins was a Miami team captain last season. Since entering the league, he leads all defensive linemen in run stop win rate (40.8%) and has recorded the second-most tackles by any defensive lineman in that span (290).
