Just before the clock hit 4 p.m. EST, the New York Jets were able to sign defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson to a long-term deal before the contract deadline. Adam Schefter tweeted the news.
So it turns out before deadline, Jets announced they signed Mo Wilkerson to an extension.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 15, 2016
Muhammad Wilkerson Signs 5-Year Extension with New York Jets
Aside from the Ryan Fitzpatrick saga, the other biggest offseason story line for the Jets was whether or not they could agree to a deal with Muhammad Wilkerson. The Jets franchise tagged Wilkerson in March and were hoping to come to terms with a deal soon after. That did not happen as both sides were far off in contract negotiations from then until now.
Had Wilkerson signed the franchise tag, it would’ve paid him $15.7 million for the year. Wilkerson was not happy with the negotiations and showed it by skipping the Jets organized team activities in March and the mandatory minicamp in June. In his new deal, Wilkerson will be getting more money than the franchise tag along with some future stability. Sources have told Ian Rapoport that the deal will be for five years and worth over $85 million.
#Jets 5-yr deal for Mo Wilkerson is for more than $85M, source said, with $54M in guarantees over 3 years. $37M fully guaranteed thru year 2
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 15, 2016
Wilkerson has succeeded in his five years as a Jet after being drafted out of Temple as the 30th overall pick. He has accumulated 36.5 sacks, 184 tackles, 117 assisted tackles, 21 passes defended, and ten forced fumbles. His best season was his most recent one in 2015. He had 39 tackles and 25 assisted tackles which were tied for or solely the second best mark of his career. He also set or tied a career-high in passes defended with seven, forced fumbles with three, and sacks with 12. That performance led him to his first career Pro-Bowl.
