EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. _ Muhammad Wilkerson has likely played his last game in a Jets uniform.
The former Pro Bowl defensive end was inactive for the second straight game Sunday when the Jets hosted the Chargers. Wilkerson was benched, and left at home for the trip to New Orleans in Week 15, as punishment for being tardy yet again.
Wilkerson practiced all week and coach Todd Bowles said that Wilkerson had "served his sentence" for his latest issue with being on time. Wilkerson showed some contrition on Wednesday, admitting that he "let the team down," and expressed a desire to play on Sunday.
But Bowles wouldn't commit to playing Wilkerson against the Chargers, saying the team had two work through some "internal issues."
What Bowles didn't say: the big issue is money. Wilkerson is owed $16.75 million in 2018, far too much for a guy who is underperforming on the field and can't follow team rules off of it. The Jets will surely cut him before the third day of the new league year in March, when his contract is set to become fully guaranteed. The Jets will save $11 million by cutting him with $9 million of dead money.
The only way the Jets would have to pay Wilkerson, and his full $20 million cap hit, next season is if he were to suffer some sort of serious injury in the final two games _ his contract is guaranteed for injury. So the Jets are making the smart move deciding to move on from their disappointing defensive lineman now.
Wilkerson has been a massive disappointment since signing a five-year $86 million contract in July of 2016. He has only eight sacks in the 28 games since signing that deal. Over that span, he's collected $37 million from the Jets.
The contract has done nothing to fix the locker room issues that existed before Wilkerson got paid. Last week's benching in New Orleans marked the fourth time since 2015 Wilkerson has been disciplined during a game because of tardiness. On Dec. 3, he was also benched for the first quarter against the Chiefs after being late to a team meeting the Friday before the game.
Wilkerson was asked on Wednesday if he felt he'd earned the money the Jets had paid him over the last two years.
"I feel like I've earned everything I've gotten," he said.
