Former Jets and Packers DL Muhammad Wilkerson Arrested on DWI, Drug Charges

Muhammad Wilkerson is in trouble with the law once again. The former New York Jets and Green Bay Packers defensive lineman was arrested and charged with DWI, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia on Monday morning in New Jersey according to ESPN. This is the second time Wilkerson has been arrested in less than a year.

Wilkerson, 30, was stopped for a traffic violation on Interstate-80 in Patterson. He was with 28-year-old male passenger Jihad Ballard, who was charged with possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Both men were released, and a court date is pending.

Back in June, Wilkerson was arrested and charged with DWI. His Royals Royce was stopped in New York and his blood-alcohol-level was allegedly at 0.09 which is slightly above the legal limit in the state.

Wilkerson last played in the NFL in 2018 when he was a member of the Packers. He only played in three games that season due to a season-ending ankle injury he suffered in Week 3. He was hoping to re-sign with the Packers last year.

“I like it here a lot,” Wilkerson said to The Athletic. “I came here to prove that I can play at a high level and that was cut short. But that’s how the game goes sometimes. I definitely want to get another shot to show what I can do.”

Wilkerson was a member of the Jets from 2011-2017. He has been named to the All-Pro team twice and to the Pro Bowl once which was in 2015. However, his final two seasons with the Jets were not up to his standards, recording 4.5 sacks in 2016 and 3.5 sacks in 2017. Packers current defensive coordinator Mike Pettine was Wilkerson’s defensive coordinator for two years and he helped Wilkerson improve his game which led to him recording 10.5 sacks in 2013 and 12 sacks in 2015. Before the 2018 season, Wilkerson recorded 498 tackles (324 solo), 44.5 sacks, two interceptions, 26 passes defended, 10 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery that he returned for a touchdown in 101 games.

At this point, it’s uncertain Wilkerson will play another down in the NFL again because he hasn’t been on a field in nearly two years and he has been arrested twice in a nine-month span.