Dolphins’ Wilkins ends hold-in, ‘focused’ on ’23

Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins has ended his hold-in as he prepares for the regular season, he told reporters on Tuesday.

Wilkins had withheld himself from team drills for the past two weeks in an effort to jumpstart 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.

Negotiations between Wilkins and the team hit a stalemate, however, and no agreement has been made as Week 1 approaches.

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.”

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, while Wilkins expressed joy for his teammate’s new deal.

Wilkins was a Dolphins 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).