With just one more year left on his rookie deal, it’s fair to question whether Tyree Wilson’s run with the Las Vegas Raiders will soon be ending.
The “potential” case for Wilson is familiar. It is also no longer persuasive enough to justify another guaranteed commitment.
Is Tyree Wilson a “bust” at this point?
That is why declining the fifth-year option is the clean, disciplined move. Wilson was drafted seventh overall as a traits bet, and after three seasons he still has not produced or played like a foundational edge. The baseline résumé matters: 50 games, limited starting experience, modest sack production for a top-10 pick, and usage that has never consistently reflected a player the staff must keep on the field.
To be fair, there is always a counterexample, and the recent Kansas City Chiefs game is the one supporters will cite. Impact plays happened, and the ceiling is real. But a single late-season flash is not development. If anything, it proves he’s unable to do it consistently. More importantly, he can’t do it against high-level competition. You can call it what you want but Wilson flashed against scrubs in that Chiefs matchup. The Raiders cannot keep budgeting their roster around “when he’s focused” and “if the light comes on.” Those are not evaluation criteria; they are hopes.
The common rebuttal is that instability has slowed his growth. Coaching turnover can matter, and it is a real variable. Still, it does not explain why a top-10 pick remains a rotational player three years in. If multiple staffs have repeatedly concluded he is not one of the best options for sustained snaps, that is the evaluation that matters most.
When you add the contract mechanics, the decision gets even simpler. The fifth-year option is starter-level money. The Raiders should not prepay for the version of Wilson that shows up occasionally. If he wants to change the conversation, the path is straightforward: a defined role, steady snaps, and steady production across a full season.
So treat next season as the final audition. Give him opportunity, demand weekly reliability, and measure results with no sentiment attached. If that leap does not arrive, the correct plan is to let the rookie contract expire and move on. The time for hand-holding is over, either Wilson has it or not. Unfortunately, many within Raider Nation have already made up their minds.
*Top Photo: Getty Images