Following a January injury and stalled contract talks that resulted in a surprise deadline deal, New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson says he’ll “be ready for Week 1.”
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.
Now, Wilkerson is declaring his readiness for the beginning of the 2016 NFL regular season following his broken leg sustained in a loss against the Buffalo Bills in Week 17 of the 2015 season.
“I’ll be ready for Week 1,” Wilkerson told reporters on Wednesday. “Rehab is going well. I’m running four times a week and just taking it day by day.”
Speculation in recent weeks centered around the idea that Wilkerson would begin the 2016 regular season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, assuming a long-term deal had been agreed to. Wilkerson’s declaration seems to negate those rumors. “I’m ready to get things rolling,” Wilkerson told the New York Jets’ official website.
The New York Jets open training camp on July 29, and without a doubt Wilkerson will need those two weeks and the NFL’s preseason to continue rehabbing his surgically repaired broken leg. Wilkerson is coming off of a 2015 campaign that saw him record a career high 12.0 sacks and 64 total tackles.
Wilkerson and the New York Jets open the 2016 NFL regular season at home, facing the Cincinnati Bengals, touting a bolstered defensive front that includes linebacker Darron Lee, a first-round pick in this year’s draft from Ohio State.
For more news about the New York Jets and the NFL, check out The Jet Press and our NFL hub page!