Jets defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson is only in the second season of a five-year, $86MM contract, but the two sides might be headed for a divorce. The 27-year-old Wilkerson hasn’t lived up to expectations since signing his deal, which could lead the Jets to release him in the offseason, according to Darryl Slater of NJ.com.
If the Jets do part with Wilkerson over the winter, he’d join Sheldon Richardson as the second high-profile defensive lineman they’d have jettisoned in recent months. Both players caused some behind-the-scenes headaches in 2016, but Richardson still brought Gang Green a quality return via trade, going to Seattle last month for wide receiver Jermaine Kearse and multiple draft picks, including a second-rounder in 2018. Wilkerson hasn’t done anything this year to boost his trade stock, though, having failed to register a single quarterback hit during the Jets’ 3-3 start. Despite that, head coach Todd Bowles told Rich Cimini of ESPN.com and other reporters on Wednesday that Wilkerson has played “well.”
Bowles’ assessment notwithstanding, it’s fair to say Wilkerson’s play has dropped off dating back to last season. After combining for 36.5 sacks during his first five years, including a career-high 12 in 2015, Wilkerson has totaled just 4.5 since signing his big-money pact. As his traditional numbers began plummeting last season, so did his grades at Pro Football Focus. The site assigned Wilkerson a subpar rating in 2016 and, through six games this year, ranks his performance a lackluster 113th among 124 qualified interior D-linemen. In fairness to Wilkerson, injuries have likely played some part in his recent decline. The broken leg he suffered in the Jets’ 2015 regular-season finale may have slowed him to some degree in 2016, and this year he has dealt with a sprained shoulder and a toe problem. Nevertheless, he has appeared in 20 of 21 games dating back to last year, including all six this season. Wilkerson has never played in fewer than 13 games in a season, and has appeared in 98 of 102 since the Jets used a first-round pick on him in 2011.
Durability might not be enough to save Wilkerson if there isn’t an uptick in his performance over the final two-plus months of the season. Of course, it’s also worth noting that parting with Wilkerson would lead to significant savings for the Jets if he’s designated as a post-June 1 cut. The club would add $17MM in space (against $3MM in dead money) in 2018 if it goes that route, though it would have to carry his $20MM cap number until June 1. On the other hand, the Jets could cut eschew the post-June 1 designation and save $11MM of the $20MM by releasing him. With Wilkerson’s $16.75MM salary for next season set to become guaranteed on the third day of the league year in March, an answer on his future should come relatively early in the winter.