NY Jets 2015 Spotlight: Muhammad Wilkerson

The NY Jets had an incredible defense in 2015 thanks to defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson being an anchor on their defensive line.

Make no mistake about it, the Jets will need to bring back their defensive captain in order for this team to continue there dominance on the front line. This past season many fans knew that this could possibly be the last season that they would see Wilkerson in a gang green uniform. If it was indeed the last time, then they knew they had got the best from him every single game he was in.

Wilkerson was the voice for the Jets’ defense that made the team have one of the best defensive front in the NFL. In 2015, Wilkerson was a very big producer in helping the team during there big five-game winning streak late in the season.

Not only was their frustrating season finale loss to the Buffalo Bills a tough pill to swallow since it ended their playoff hopes, Wilkerson ended up breaking his leg and the Jets ended up getting swept by their ex head coach Rex Ryan out of all people.

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This past season, Wilkerson seemed to play with a chip on his shoulder that he wanted to continue to prove his doubters wrong about earning a huge long-term contract.

Wilkerson’s stats were amongst the best he has had in his early career as he had 64 combined total tackles, 39 total tackles, 12 quarterback sacks and 7 pass deflections.

These numbers earned him his first Pro Bowl invitation that unfortunately he couldn’t attend due to his broken leg. If he is able to bounce back from this injury which he is already ahead in with rehab, he should continue to produce big numbers and become one of the top defensive players to play the game.

We keep on hearing different stories on the situation of what the Jets are looking to do with Wilkerson. The organization will either sign him to a long-term deal, sign and trade him or hit him with the franchise tag.

It’s best to wait and see what the Jets will do but I hope they will have a backup plan in place just in case they let Wilkerson go. He is a player that any team in the NFL would love to have because of how talented he is at his position. He is also a type of leader you would want on and off the field for how professional he is as a player and takes his career so seriously.

Wilkerson has been the face of the franchise for how productive he has been in all the good and bad times they have had. It will be a tremendous loss for the Jets if they are not able to work a deal out in keeping him around for the rest of his career as his best years are ahead of him.

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It’s hard to imagine who or if anyone really could ever step into Wilkerson’s shoes and be as dominant as he has been from day one. Let’s all hope that the Jets will be smart and make this deal possible or else a lot of fans will be very disappointed to see him play elsewhere. After such a great season in 2015, he deserves an extension.