It looks like Broncos linebacker Von Miller won’t be the only high-profile defensive player skipping the start of a workout program this week.
Defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson also got franchise tagged this offseason and Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports that Wilkerson is expected to skip the team’s offseason work until he’s under contract. Like Miller and plenty of other players in the same position, Wilkerson hopes his absence helps lead to a long-term agreement.
There’s been some talk about the Jets trading Wilkerson to a team that’s more willing to give Wilkerson that deal than the Jets have been this offseason. The topic comes up on occasion, but there hasn’t been any public indication that such a deal is going to materialize.
Wilkerson, who broke his leg in Week 17, would make $15.7 million in 2016 under the terms of the franchise tag. He has until July 15 to work out a long-term deal, at which point his contractual choices shrink to playing out the year under the tag, negotiating a different one-year deal or sitting out the entire year.