Mo Wilkerson has every right to be frustrated over not landing a long-term lucrative contract yet.
“It’s shocking. It’s frustrating,” Wilkerson told The New York Post. “Because I feel like I’ve earned it and I deserve it. It would be different if I was just a mediocre player. I feel like each and every week I’m dominating and it’s showing. The stats speak for themselves. Basically, what more do I need to do?”
Unfortunately, one more thing he needs to do is show he can be just as dominating coming off a broken leg.
He broke his leg in the Jets’ 2015 season finale.
Hey, the injury wasn’t his fault, but it happened, and he’s still rehabbing as we speak. Todd Bowles said today that even if Wilkerson wasn’t holding out, he still wouldn’t have participated in the veteran mini-camp. He’s still not 100 percent.
Now there is an excellent chance Wilkerson comes back from this injury and plays like his old self.
But would it be smart business for the Jets to give a player rehabbing a broken leg, who hasn’t been back on the practice field yet, over $60 million guaranteed?
That’s a tough one.
So for 2016, Wilkerson might need to play for the $15.7 million franchise tag, prove he can dominate like the past on his repaired leg, and get a long-term deal next off-season with the Jets or elsewhere.
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