Muhammad Wilkerson was a pocket-pushing menace for five seasons in New York, earning a Pro Bowl and two second-team All-Pro bids in his first five years. He then mostly disappeared the past two years.
After being cut by the Jets and joining the Green Bay Packers, Wilkerson is motivated to return to his disruptive ways.
"I'm ready to get back to my dominant play," Wilkerson said, via ESPN's Rob Demovsky. "I know what type of player I'm capable of being, and I'm just ready to do it at a new place, a new organization and a new group of guys. I'm just really excited about the things to come this year.
"I'm capable of being a dominant player that those years have shown, the stats have shown."
Wilkerson's play slipped after he got paid by New York in 2016 -- earning a combined eight sacks in two seasons since signing a five-year, $86 million deal. The year before he inked his payday, the defensive lineman earned 12 sacks and his only Pro Bowl selection. The problems in New York hit their apex when Gang Green benched Wilkerson for the final three games of his tenure last season.
Now that Wilkerson re-joins defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, for whom he played in his first two seasons in New York, and is on a one-year prove-it deal worth $5 million, Green Bay represents an ideal landing spot. The Packers get a talented, motivated player in a scheme that fits his skill set.
"I don't regret anything," Wilkerson said. "At the end of the day, it's a business and things happen and that's that. I'm going to move forward just like the Jets -- they will move forward. I'm a Green Bay Packer now, and I'm excited about that.
"It's a mindset. It's a mindset and a want-to. I'm ready for that. That's what I want to get back to: the years when I was very successful and being dominant. I had some dominant years with Coach Pettine. Looking forward to that."
