New York Jets Defensive End Muhammad Wilkerson Plans to Play Entire Season With a Shoulder Sprain
It appears that New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson is planning to play through an injury again this season.
The Pro Bowler has missed several practices already this season with an unspecified shoulder injury. But on Wednesday, Wilkerson finally admitted that he has been dealing with a grade one acromioclavicular (AC) joint sprain in his left shoulder for a couple of weeks now.
It's not a serious injury so it will not keep him off the field for an extended period of time. But the bad news is that Wilkerson is going to feel the lingering effects of the injury for the rest of the season and his productivity will likely take a hit because of it.
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"It's football. That's what comes with this business. We just got to take care of it each and every day, and hopefully it feels good come Sunday," Wilkerson said, via the New York Daily News. "I'm going to play through it. I'm going to do whatever I can for my brothers out there. I want to be out there," he added.
"It's going to be delicate. We got to understand when he's in a lot of pain and when he's not. It's going to have to be managed every week all year, so it seems," Jets head coach Todd Bowles said.
Wilkerson sustained the injury during their 45–20 loss to the Oakland Raiders on Sept. 17.
The two-time All-Pro second team member is no stranger to playing through pain. Wilkerson underwent surgery to repair his fractured right fibula following the 2015 season, and after a disappointing 2016 campaign, he would admit that he felt discomfort in his surgically repaired leg the entire season and it affected his performance.
Of course, some pundits believe that he is simply using his injuries as an excuse for his poor play. Well, there's no denying that he has underperformed since he signed his five-year, $86-million contract.
