Former Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson is back in the news for all of the wrong reasons.
Wilkerson, 30, was arrested and charged with DWI, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia by the New Jersey State Police earlier this week, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. The DWI arrest is Wilkerson’s second, as he was arrested for it last June in Washington Heights, New York.
In that case, Wilkerson was pulled over for running a stop sign. His BAC measured 0.9, which exceeds the legal limit of 0.8 in New York.
A former first-round pick of the Jets’ in 2011, Wilkerson was once one of the top tier defensive ends in the NFL. However, after signing a massive five-year, $86 million contract extension with $53 million in guaranteed money with New York in 2016, his career plummeted into a downward spiral.
Wilkerson’s production trailed off significantly after signing the extension. He also became a headache for the Jets to deal with off the field, frequently showing up late for meetings and violating team rules. The Jets made Wilkerson a healthy scratch for their final two games in 2017 and ultimately released him in February 2018.
Wilkerson caught on with the Packers, but only appeared in three games with Green Bay in 2018. His season came to an abrupt end in late September, as he suffered an ankle injury that landed him on season-ending injured reserve.
Wilkerson was out of football in 2019 and remains a free agent. Although he is not currently on a roster, he is still subject to punishment by the NFL for violating its personal conduct policy.