A Day at the Office, Maybe...
It’s safe to say that a large number of people did not attend work today. Jets’ defensive linemen Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson might very well be two of them. And it has nothing to do with the outcome of last night’s election.
Wilkerson and Richardson are supposed to be among the team’s best players and have earned several accolades over their first few years in the league. Richardson was voted Rookie of the Year in 2013 and appeared in the following Pro Bowl, and Wilkerson was a Second Team All-Pro in 2013 and 2015. They’ve been a big reason that the Jets have been so stout against the run in recent years, but this past Sunday was a different story. Neither Wilkerson nor Richardson played a snap in the first quarter, and they rode the pine until the second when they both finally entered the game for good. Not much was known surrounding their benching, but the assumption was that it was a disciplinary measure, as neither player showed any signs of injury upon their returns. Todd Bowles still hasn’t publicly given an explanation, but reports showed that both players have routinely missed and shown up late to practices and team meetings, likely prompting the Jets’ head coach to sit his two star players.
Neither player spoke about the issue after the game, skipping interviews entirely in what looks like to be a violation of the league’s media policy. Just the next day, however, NFL Network reported that Wilkerson was a no-show at a defensive walkthrough, a meeting at which the team had planned to celebrate his birthday with a cake. This isn’t Wilkerson’s first offense either. He sat the first quarter in last year’s overtime win over the Giants due to lateness as well.
“Everybody is accountable for their actions,” says Bowles. “I’m perfectly fine with those two commitments.”
While Bowles may appear to not have an issue with their tardiness and absences, his actions reflect otherwise. He can’t risk looking like he has no control over a team that has already been a disappointment this season, and whether he knows it or not, he’s fighting to keep his job. With his team losing on the field and now struggling in the locker room, he has to right the ship before it’s too late. The question is how does he do it?
The easy answer is to employ the Patriots’ strategy, and simply dispose of the bad apples. Jamie Collins is easily one of the league’s best linebackers, but when he got complacent and started asking for money, Bill Belichick showed him the door and sent him packing for Cleveland. The Jets tried to do the same with Richardson before the trade deadline, but teams didn’t succumb to New York’s asking price (reportedly a first-rounder), forcing them to keep him at least until the offseason. Richardson won’t likely remain on the team for long, and he should get dealt this offseason, as he’s set to become a free agent in the near future and has been anything but inspiring as a leader.
Jamie Collins was headed for what might have been another Super Bowl, but Belichick had other plans when Collins' supposedly started acting out.
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
The problem with this strategy is that the Jets don’t have Tom Brady. They rely on their top players to perform in order to win games, and don’t have a franchise quarterback who can win with lesser talent around him. New England’s players are disposable, whereas the Jets don’t have that luxury. Even if they wanted to go this route, Wilkerson isn’t leaving anytime soon. He just signed a long-term deal to stay in New York, and trading or dropping him would be a major cap hit to the organization, something they simply can’t afford when trying to build a roster that isn’t young by any stretch.
The good news for Jet fans is that Wilkerson has seemingly owned up to his nonattendance, saying “I learned from this and I’m not going to be a distraction. There won’t be a distraction no more, especially coming from me. I’m one of the leaders on this team and I definitely have to do better and show better.”
Wilkerson looks like he’s ready to turn over a new leaf. The same can’t be said for Richardson, who has had his fair share of incidents in the past, including multiple suspensions for violation of the league’s drug policy as well as a reckless driving charge. It might be too late for Richardson to save his career in New York, but Wilkerson looks to be here for the long haul. Todd Bowles on the other hand, we’re not so sure.
