Wilkerson must find way to finish strong
MUHAMMAD Wilkerson was wearing original white, red, and black Air Jordan sneakers on Friday, looking like an overweight point guard searching for a pick-up game.
The Jets (5-7) were packing their gear to head to Denver, where they will play the Broncos (3-9) Sunday in a game the Jets desperately need to win to keep their slim playoffs hopes alive. To do that, the Jets don’t need Wilkerson to play football like Michael Jordan played basketball, but they at least will need him to play better than has been for most of this season.
A good starting point would be to keep from doing something to cause him to be benched at the start of the game. Wilkerson was held out until late in the first quarter of last week’s 38-31 win over the Chiefs. It was a “coach’s decision” after Wilkerson reportedly was late for a meeting, something that isn’t exactly a rarity where he is concerned. It was the third straight year in which Wilkerson has been disciplined for being late. He was benched against the Dolphins last year and versus the Giants two years ago.
It has gotten to the point at which his sub-par production on the field and tardiness off it have the Jets ready to release the seven-year veteran from Temple at the end of the season to save $11 million of cap money.
Wilkerson, the Jets’ longesttenured defensive player, went on to have a decent game against the Chiefs, registering a team-leading six tackles and adding a half sack. But he’ll need a strong four games if he has any chance to remain with the Jets into next season.
General manager Mike Maccagnan already has shown he isn’t shy about releasing veteran players with big contracts after jettisoning center Nick Mangold and linebacker David Harris last offseason. Wilkerson figures to be a target this year, and deservedly so.
Since signing a five-year $86 million contract before the 2016 season, Wilkerson, who had 12 sacks in 2015, has produced just seven sacks. Granted, sacks aren’t the only way to judge a defensive lineman’s performance, but Wilkerson is supposed to be an impact player and he has been far from that since signing the new deal.
Wilkerson was never media-friendly, sticking to basic clichés for answers, but he flatly refused to acknowledge, much less offer any remorse for the disciplinary action he incurred last Sunday.
When asked this week whether he had talked to his teammates, Wilkerson’s response was: “I’ll answer anything about Denver. If you ain’t got no Denver questions, you don’t have to ask me anything.”
When pressed about whether the fans deserve an explanation, Wilkerson stuck to his script, saying, “If you don’t have questions about Denver, there’s nothing else to talk about.”
The only time he perked up was when he was asked about the progress of fellow defensive end Leonard Williams.
“That’s the man right there,” he said. “He’s doing a hell of job for us up front.”
It’s Williams’ growth on the field and the locker room that may contribute to Wilkerson’s departure. The Jets need someone to keep the budding star from constantly being double-teamed. Wilkerson hasn’t done that. They have combined for just 4.5 sacks this season.
It’s sad it has come this. There was a time when Wilkerson was viewed as one of the best athletes in New York sports, potentially the face of a franchise in need of star. That’s why he was given his big contract. But he has seven sacks since signing the deal.
A broken leg in the final game of the 2015 season and repeated foot injuries since have hampered his production. Still, his teammates, such as linebacker Jordan Jenkins, insist Wilkerson is a “hell of a leader.”
Actions speak louder than words. He certainly won’t be with the Jets and play for the $16.7 million he is scheduled to earn next year. To have any chance to remain at all, he’ll need to be impressive — and on time — over these next four weeks.