FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Mo's a go for individual drills. Fully participating in a practice might not be too far off.
The New York Jets activated defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson from the physically unable to perform list Tuesday after he missed the start of training camp while rehabilitating from a broken leg.
Wilkerson was limited to participating in just defensive line drills, with the next step being team drills.
"I'm glad to be off the PUP list," Wilkerson said after practice. "I did some position drills and we're just taking it slow."
He isn't expected to play in the preseason opener Thursday night against Jacksonville, but coach Todd Bowles wouldn't rule it out.
"We'll see how he looks," Bowles said. "He's scheduled to play. We'll see how many plays we may give him or may not give him. He may or may not play. He's in pads. We're going to see what he does (Wednesday). We're going to let him run around a little bit. If we can steal a rep or two, we'll play him and, if not, we'll sit him out."
Wilkerson broke his right leg in the season finale against Buffalo last December. He had a career-high 12 sacks last season and was selected for his first Pro Bowl, but couldn't play because of the injury.
He had surgery performed by Dr. Robert Anderson, a renowned Charlotte, North-Carolina-based orthopedist, during the winter. Wilkerson then spent the past several months rehabbing, posting videos throughout the offseason of an increased workload that included running on a treadmill.
"It was my first major injury, so it could be frustrating at times," Wilkerson said. "With the rehab process and my teammates reaching out to me and visiting me, that helped me to just have the mental toughness. I'm just glad that process is almost over and I'm back to being a full go."
Wilkerson's teammates and coaches were excited to have him back on the field and participating in practice after months of uncertainty. He also broke down the defensive huddle, receiving handshakes and high-fives from everyone around him."
"It was really good," defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers said. "It was uplifting."
Wilkerson received a contract extension two weeks before training camp began, a deal worth more than $85 million that included $37 million in guarantees through the first two years.
Right tackle Breno Giacomini (back) and wide receiver Devin Smith (knee) are the Jets' only remaining players on active/PUP.
"It was good to see him out there," Bowles said of Wilkerson. "He needs to get his feet under him. He's in shoulder pads for the first time in a while, so it's going to take a little while to get in shape. He bounced around pretty good, so it was good to see him in pads and a helmet."
Game notes
Bowles said he and his assistants have not yet decided what the breakdown of playing time will be for the Jets' four quarterbacks in the preseason opener. ... WR Eric Decker returned to practice a day after sitting out with leg soreness, saying the team wanted to be smart about it. He added that he felt good throughout practice Tuesday. ... LG James Carpenter sat out with a sore leg. ... RB Matt Forte (hamstring) remains out and won't play against the Jaguars. "There's probably a timetable, but it's definitely nowhere right now," Bowles said. "We haven't even played a game yet. A lot of people get tweaks in their (hamstrings) and leg injuries and all of that. Then you wait to see until after the last preseason game to see who surfaces the next week. Matt's a pro. He's been doing this for a long time. We trust that he's going to have himself in shape." ... LB Trevor Reilly has a leg injury that has sidelined him the past several practices, and he won't play Thursday.
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