Recently we noted the Raiders still had several unsigned free agents which included eight players who started games for them last season. None had more starts than John Jenkins, but the 35-year-old defensive tackle was still out there. That wait finally ended for Jenkins as he and the Ravens have agreed to a one-year deal.
Jenkins started every game the past two seasons for the Raiders. The journeyman veteran has played for six different teams over his 12-year NFL career. Most of those years, he was a rotational nose tackle.
But when he signed with the Raiders in 2023, he went on to have a career year, with 61 combined tackles and four tackles for loss.
The Raiders signed Christian Wilkins last offseason to a big free agent contract only to see him get injured in week three. Jenkins again started every game, but didn’t have a repeat performance to his big 2023 season.
Wilkins returns this season alongside Adam Butler who had started in place of Jenkins last season. Butler went on to have one of his best seasons and was re-signed to a long term deal.