Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

Muhammad Wilkerson suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out of the team's opening preseason games, but he is listed as active for Sunday's regular-season opener against the Cleveland Browns.

Wilkerson originally suffered the injury during practice on Aug. 2, with Todd Bowles telling Dom Cosentino of NJ.com that the star defensive tackle tweaked his hamstring.

The Jets will start the season without Sheldon Richardson for the first four games as he serves a suspension, so Wilkerson's presence in the trenches is even more crucial for the defense.

The team did draft versatile lineman Leonard Williams in the first round of this year's draft, but Wilkerson's ability to get after the quarterback—he's made 24.5 sacks in four seasons—makes him a valuable asset as a defensive tackle.

