Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson took to Instagram on Friday to post a video of himself walking on an anti-gravity treadmill with a compression sock and sneakers on his right leg to show that his recovery from a broken bone continues to progress “ahead of schedule.”
That news would be of interest to any team that might want to pursue a trade for Wilkerson, who received the franchise tag from the Jets earlier this offseason. During a conference call on Friday, Jets General Manager Mike Maccagnan wouldn’t say whether he’s had any talks on that front but didn’t rule out the possibility that things could go that way.
“It’s not something we’re actively pursuing,” Maccagnan said, via NJ.com. “But at the end of the day, he is under the franchise tag, so we’ll see how this thing plays out.”
The Jets have shown some interest in free agent tackles this offseason, leading to speculation about whether left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson will remain with the team. Ferguson is set to have a $14.1 million cap charge and the Jets could save over $9 million by parting ways with him, something that Maccagnan also wouldn’t rule out on Friday.
“Right now I would say he would be on our roster going forward,” Maccagnan said, via Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. “But we’ll see how this thing goes.”
Moving on from Ferguson would require the Jets to find another left tackle, something that is more difficult now that the best options on the free agent market have signed with other teams.