After weeks of contract disputes, and telling the New York Daily News that “nobody knows what will happen”, Muhammad Wilkerson and the New York Jets were able to strike a five-year, $86 million deal by the 4 p.m. ET deadline on July 15.
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“Rehab is going well”, Wilkerson said to the Associated Press. With the addition of Leonard Williams in last year’s draft, the trio of Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson and Williams will headline the Jets’ pass rush for the next two years until Richardson’s deal is done.
“Yeah, I’ll be ready for Week 1”, Wilkerson told reporters Wednesday, via NFL.com. “When the coaches feel it is time for me to get out there on the field and I am ready to go, I will be out there”.
However, he has said he will be available and ready to play Week One of the season September 11 against the Bengals. The defensive lineman was given a franchise tag by the Jets to keep him under team control for another year at league-set price, something Wilkerson found unacceptable. “Just taking it day by day” and most importantly he said he’ll be ready for Week One of the regular season.
Asked if he was surprised that the last-minute deal came together when there was so much pessimism surrounding his contract situation, Wilkerson preferred to look forward.
“I’m just happy to get a deal done”, Wilkerson said”. Wilkerson is glad the ordeal is behind him and the Linden, N.J. native is happy to remain home. “We can be as good as we want to be, as long as we’re all putting in the work day after day and pushing each other to be great”, Wilkerson said. Wilkerson is a very intelligent person and after five years in this business he understands that this process is just a part of that business. “I’m from New Jersey, I’m from here, my family is here, I wanted to raise my children here, so I’m very excited to be back”.
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Wilkerson is coming off a broken leg suffered in the final game of last season against the Buffalo Bills.
