It is not a stretch to say that Tyree Wilson, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, did not meet expectations during his time with the Las Vegas Raiders. And with the additions of big-ticket veteran Kwity Paye and third-rounder Keyron Crawford, the writing was on the wall for him this offseason.
Being dealt for a mere late-round pick swap was quite the fall from grace for a guy who was supposed to be Maxx Crosby's long-term running mate. But the New Orleans Saints clearly saw enough in him to take a one-year flyer on him for the No. 150 pick. And the Saints are on the Raiders' 2026 schedule.
After being dealt to New Orleans, Wilson was gracious about his time in Las Vegas during his introductory press conference, but he wasn't above throwing a little dig in at the Silver and Black. And with the schedule now out, Wilson will have to back up those words very early in the calendar.
Las Vegas Raiders travel to face Tyree Wilson, New Orleans Saints in Week 3 of 2026 NFL season
The league released the full schedule on Thursday evening, and the Raiders have no shortage of pitfalls to be wary of. But a Week 3 contest against New Orleans, who, despite improving this offseason, still went just 6-11 last year, feels like a bit of a break or at least a winnable game.
And after that minor jab Wilson took at Las Vegas late last month, the team now has an extra bone to pick with the Saints in that early season matchup. Yes, it'll be a chance for Wilson to get early revenge on the Raiders for giving up on him before his rookie deal was even expired.
But it is also a chance for what many perceive as a lackluster offensive line in Las Vegas to shut down Wilson in the first quarter of the season and prove once and for all why the franchise cut its losses with the defensive end after just three full seasons.
Had the matchup been scheduled for later in the year, perhaps this head-to-head might not have mattered as much. Maybe one team would have been doing a lot better than the other and individual performances would have shrunk in comparison to the overall situation.
Perhaps a key player or two, or even Wilson himself, would be out due to injury because the NFL is violent, and the odds of being sidelined only rise as the year goes on. Wilson could have been having a major revival campaign and one slow game against the Raiders wouldn't change the complexion.
An early game between the two, however, throws a lot of that out the window. Wilson will still be trying to prove himself in New Orleans, and all the chips will still be pushed into the center for both teams. Wilson trying to prove his old team wrong. The Raiders hoping to prove themselves right.
Kolton Miller and DJ Glaze know Wilson's game well. But he also knows theirs. The team, Raider Nation and Wilson surely had this game circled on their calendar, for obvious reasons. And thankfully, they won't have to wait long to see it play out.
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