Jets star defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson was a no-show for the first day of the Jets’ offseason program, according to a source.
Wilkerson and the Jets are currently engaged in a standoff over a long-term contract. The team used the franchise tag on Wilkerson this offseason, but he has not signed the $15.7 million tender yet.
Wilkerson’s absence is no surprise to the Jets, who expected him to be a no-show. But they hoped he would attend just so they could supervise his rehabilitation from the broken leg he suffered in Week 17. Instead, Wilkerson begins what could be a long absence from the team.
“Everybody out there knows who Mo is,” Jets linebacker David Harris told reporters Monday on a conference call. “Mo is one of the best D-ends in this league. We all know it’s a business. It’s part of the game. Hopefully he’ll be here, but he has to do what is best for him.”
These workouts are voluntary, but Wilkerson also likely will skip June’s mandatory minicamp, which he can do without getting fined as long as he does not sign the franchise tender. It also would not be surprising if Wilkerson held a training camp holdout if he and the Jets do not reach a long-term deal before then. The two sides have a deadline of July 15 to reach a deal.
This is the second straight year Wilkerson has skipped the offseason program. He has been looking for a new contract for two years now, and the Jets appear unwilling to give him one. That has led to speculation Wilkerson could be traded before next week’s NFL draft. Sources say the Jets are actively shopping the defensive end, but a trade won’t be easy. The team acquiring Wilkerson would have to be willing to meet his contract demands, which would probably include more than $50 million in guaranteed money, plus the compensation the Jets are seeking, which is believed to include a first-round pick this year.
There has been speculation in recent days that the Jets might use Wilkerson to move up as high as No. 2 in the draft to take a quarterback. That seems unlikely, though, because the Jets would have to give up a several draft picks in addition to Wilkerson to jump from 20 to 2. The Browns, who hold the No. 2 pick, also seem like an unlikely destination for Wilkerson. They are undergoing a complete rebuild under former Mets executive Paul DePodesta. Adding a pricey veteran like Wilkerson would go against what appears to be the Browns’ plan.
The ugliness between the Jets and their 26-year-old star has left Wilkerson disillusioned with the team that drafted him in the first round in 2011. That does not figure to change any time soon and could keep him away from the Jets’ Florham Park headquarters for months.
