Jets Release Muhammad Wilkerson

The Jets have informed defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson that he has been released, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The move has long been considered inevitable, despite the financial ramifications. 

[RELATED: Jets RB Matt Forte Retires From NFL]

The Jets inked Wilkerson to a lucrative five-year, $86MM extension in the summer of 2016, a deal that stands as GM Mike Maccagnan‘s biggest blunder in New York (that is, if you place the blame for Darrelle Revis‘ mega contract on owner Woody Johnson). Wilkerson had 12 sacks in his contract year (2015), but he has recorded just eight sacks combined over the last two seasons.

Last year, things got ugly. In addition to underperforming on the field, Wilkerson failed to show up on time for several team functions, leading to serious friction with the coaching staff. In December, the Jets benched the defensive lineman for the first quarter of their game against the Chiefs. The Jets went on to upset KC without one of their highest-paid players on the field at the outset.

Wilkerson’s $16.75MM salary was set to go from guaranteed against injury to fully guaranteed on the third day of the league year. The Jets did not need to take this decision to the wire, however, and cut him loose on the first day of the combine. Gang Green will carry $9MM in dead money by releasing Wilkerson. Meanwhile, Wilkerson leaves New York after pocketing $36.75MM from his ill-fated extension.

The Jets aren’t crazy about carrying that penalty, but they did not feel that Wilkerson would turn over a new leaf in 2018. When considering his lack of production and negative impact on the locker room, it was an easy call. It also helps that the Jets have plenty of financial flexibility, making the dead money hit somewhat more palatable. The Jets have more than $90MM in cap space now, boosted by the release of Wilkerson and the retirement of running back Matt Forte.

Despite everything that has gone down over the last two years, don’t be surprised if Wilkerson attracts widespread interest on the open market. This year’s defensive line crop is rather thin – particularly after the Lions applied the franchise tag to Ezekiel Ansah – so teams will be eager to talk with the 28-year-old (29 in October) to gauge his commitment to the sport. The Seahawks are unlikely to tag Sheldon Richardson, so this year’s free agent DL group figures to be headlined by the Jets’ one-time core.