New York Jets: Best Player to Wear Number 96
In our continuing countdown of the best New York Jets to ever wear the uniform, who was the best to wear number 96?
The New York Jets have boasted a rich history of talented football players on both sides of the ball. From the early days of Broadway Joe through the current days of Revis Island, there may be only one championship, but solid players throughout.
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But who has been the best?
Over the last few weeks, we have been reviewing the best players to ever wear the Jets’ jersey, counting down by number. We started with Mark Gastineau at number 99, went on to number 98, and covered number 97 as well. The choice for number 96 was quite easy.
It’s a shame that 2016 is likely his final year in Green and White. I’m of course talking about Muhammad Wilkerson.
Wilkerson came to the Jets as the 30th overall pick in the 2011 draft, the penultimate draft for general manager Mike Tannenbaum. It hadn’t been a great recent history of draft picks for Mike at that point, with the likes of Kyle Wilson and Vladimir Ducasse chosen the previous season, but there were high hopes for the young Wilkerson.
He became an immediate starter in 2011 with modest beginnings, lodging three sacks, 47 combined tackles and a forced fumble. Things started to change in 2012 when Wilkerson increased his sack total to five, forced three fumbles, recovered one in the end zone, and posted 69 total tackles.
His breakout season as a pass rusher came in 2013, when he posted a then career-high 10.5 sacks to go along with 63 total tackles and two forced fumbles. He was beginning an ascent to arguably the best defensive end not named J.J. Watt. Doug Kyed of NESN wrote that Wilkerson not being selected to the Pro Bowl that year as one of the league’s bigger “snubs”. I think Jets’ fans would agree.
Despite not receiving a new contract off of that solid year from then-general manager John Idzik, who was more concerned about cutting salary at the time, Wilkerson played out his fourth season without missing training camp. In 13 games in 2014, Wilkerson posted six sacks, 56 total tackles and a forced fumble.
Instead of a contract extension prior to 2015, Mike Maccagnan exercised the Jets’ team option, which according to Spotrac was worth $6.9 million.Wilkerson wasn’t happy, especially when fellow 2011 draftee Cameron Jordan received his new contract, as reported by the Associated Press in USA Today.
Despite that, Wilkerson stepped up his game to the tune of a career-high 12 sacks. Unfortunately, his season ended during the Week 17 game when he broke his leg against the Buffalo Bills. Wilkerson was unable to find free agent suitors willing to pony up the money he was looking for, and the Jets placed the franchise tag on him. They couldn’t find a team to trade with, so he will likely play out the 2016 season on the tag.
The Jets and Wilkerson do have until July 15th to work out a long-term deal, but conventional wisdom says that isn’t going to happen due to the Jets’ cap woes and Wilkerson’s increasing frustration.
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He may be playing his final year in New York, but Wilkerson is a player that will likely live in the hearts of Jets’ fans long after he is gone. He is also, by far, the best player in team history ever to wear No. 96.