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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- New York Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes, who missed a handful of voluntary practice sessions while out of the country on a good-will trip to a U.S. Air Force base in Germany, pulled himself out of practice Thursday because he felt he was being overworked.

Near the end of the two-hour workout, Holmes limped off the field and tossed his helmet, seemingly out of frustration. He spoke to receivers coach Sanjay Lal and also spent time with the trainer. Afterward, Holmes insisted he wasn't injured, but he still seemed bothered.

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"I was talking to the coach, letting him understand it was too many reps today," Holmes said. "I've been gone for a while, so I can't be at full tempo like the rest of the guys and where they want us to be at."

Holmes said he was slated for 35 practice reps, but left after 20 or 25. The Jets wrapped up their OTA workouts, with a mandatory minicamp scheduled for next week.

The irony, of course, is that Holmes had to be pulled out of the Jets' final game, in the final minutes of the season-ending loss to the Miami Dolphins. Holmes was frustrated by his lack of involvement in the offense -- he had no receptions -- and complained in the huddle, nearly coming to blows with right tackle Wayne Hunter.

That was the seminal moment of the Jets' well-chronicled season of turmoil, much of which involved Holmes and quarterback Mark Sanchez.

After a tumultuous couple of months, the team is trying to rebuild its chemistry. Holmes took another positive step this week by declaring that he will attend Sanchez's "Jets West" passing camp in the coming weeks at the high school in Mission Viejo, Calif., that the quarterback attended.

Holmes was at "Jets West" in 2010, but skipped last year's camp because he was unsigned at the time. Even though he's not team captain anymore, Holmes feels he needs to be there because he still sees himself as a team leader.

"Being out there is going to give the young guys a sense of security, knowing we have our veteran, we have our leader here with us, who's going to help us and get us on the same page," Holmes said. "I think all of us doing the same thing at the same time will be a great chemistry builder."

Coach Rex Ryan has all but admitted he made a bad decision by making Holmes a captain. In fact, Ryan said he no longer will have team captains.

Holmes is the elder statesman of a young receiving corps, which includes a likely rookie starter, Stephen Hill, so he's trying to show the way.

But he admittedly still isn't in top shape.

"I'm at OTA No. 5," he said. "I've got lot of catching up to do for myself."