Former New York Jets and Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson was charged with DWI, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia after an early morning arrest Monday, a New Jersey State Police spokesman confirmed on Wednesday.
Wilkerson, 30, who last played in 2018, was stopped for a traffic violation on Interstate 80 westbound in Paterson at 2:45 a.m., police said. He was accompanied by a 28-year male passenger, Jihad Ballard, who was charged with possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Both men were released pending a court date.
This marked Wilkerson’s second DWI arrest in less than a year. His Rolls Royce was stopped last June 1 in New York and his blood-alcohol level was allegedly 0.09, slightly above the legal limit.
Wilkerson, a first-round pick of the Jets in 2011, was a rising star after recording 12 sacks and making the Pro Bowl in 2015. He signed a five-year, $86 million extension with the Jets, but his productivity dropped significantly and he was released in March 2018.
He signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Packers, but was injured and played in only three games in 2018. He wasn’t on an NFL roster last season. He made a total of $55 million in his career, according to Spotrac.