Muhammad Wilkerson’s Jets career took another wrong turn on Friday.
Soon, it could be over.
Jets coach Todd Bowles apparently had enough of his tardiness, announcing Friday that the disappointing Wilkerson wouldn’t be making the trip to New Orleans to face the Saints on Sunday. He made it clear it was not injury related, but declined to specify the reason for the disciplinary measure. A source confirmed Wilkerson was late for a team meeting Friday morning, a recurring trend that has led to discipline each of the last three years.
“Coaching decision, he won’t be making the trip, he’s not playing,” Bowles said.
Chad Wiestling, Wilkerson’s agent, told The Post that Wilkerson was indeed late, but he followed team protocol by notifying Montelle Sanders, the team’s manager of player development, in the morning that he would be late because of a personal matter involving one of his children. Wiestling said Sanders told him that the coaches and members of the front office were told about Wilkerson’s call before the meeting. Bowles still decided to sit Wilkerson down.
Wilkerson, the highest paid Jet by a considerable margin, wasn’t seen at practice or in the locker room on Friday. Bowles wouldn’t say if it was a suspension or what led to the decision.
“I’m just worrying about the guys I’m coaching. I’m not worried about Mo right now,” he said. “I made my decision.”
More and more, it seems likely the Jets will part ways in the offseason with the 28-year-old Wilkerson, who has a $20 million salary cap figure next year. While there would be $9 million in dead money, the Jets would save $11 million in cap space by releasing him. Wilkerson, a 2011 first-round pick out of Temple from nearby Linden, N.J., is slated to make $16.75 next year, so if he was released by the third day of the league year in March, he would lose all of it because it isn’t fully guaranteed.
Wilkerson has received all $37 million guaranteed in the five-year, $86 million contract he signed prior to last season. That deal is looking like an absolute bust. After producing 12 sacks in 2015, the hulking defensive lineman has eight in 28 games.
When asked how this could effect Wilkerson’s future with the Jets, Bowles said: “I’m just worried about the 53 guys going to the game.”
Wilkerson would be the latest big name defensive lineman to leave what was once one of the premier defensive fronts in the sport, a group that also included Sheldon Richardson and Damon “Snacks” Harrison. The trio had a catchy nickname, “Sons of Anarchy”, and nearly led the Jets to the playoffs in 2015. But the Jets picked Wilkerson over Harrison, who left for the Giants last year on a five-year, $46.5 million deal before the 2016 season. And they traded the troubled Richardson to the Seahawks prior to the season in exchange for wide receiver Jermaine Kearse and a 2018 second-round pick.
Wilkerson was benched for most of the first quarter on Dec. 3 against the Chiefs, after being late to a team meeting, according to a source. It marked the third straight year Wilkerson was benched a quarter for lateness. Last year, he famously missed a walk through which included a get together in a defensive meeting room to celebrate his 27th birthday with a cake.
Defensive linemen Leonard Williams and Steve McLendon declined to answer questions, while linebacker Demario Davis steered clear of addressing the issue, though he did say Bowles told the team on Friday that Wilkerson would not be traveling with the team.
It remains to be seen if Wilkerson will dress in the team’s final two games, against the Chargers and Patriots. Bowles hasn’t made a decision past this Sunday regarding his defensive lineman’s status.
