Mekhi Becton can’t appear to catch a break. On the second play of Monday’s training camp session, the New York Jets offensive deal with injured his proper knee and left the sector with a coach, in accordance with Rich Cimini of ESPN.
With Becton seemingly pressured to overlook time, how will the Jets reshuffle their entrance 5? Free agent Duane Brown, who met with New York over the weekend, may issue into their plans.
Jets OT Mekhi Becton suffers knee damage
On the time this text was revealed shortly after 12:30 p.m. ET on Monday, particulars relating to the severity of Becton’s damage weren’t but recognized. Nevertheless, we did realize it was the identical proper knee that induced him to overlook practically your entire 2021 season.
Because the day went on, updates started to trickle in. At 7:50 p.m. ET, NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo tweeted that “Becton’s knee damage is extra regarding than the workforce initially believed following apply at present. It’s a brand new damage and unrelated to his earlier knee damage. Becton has further medical appointments tomorrow to get extra readability.”
And several other hours later, at 10:03 p.m. ET, a league supply informed PFN’s Aaron Wilson that Becton has a knee cap damage and patella injury with a small chip-sized fracture inside his beforehand surgically repaired proper knee. There shall be second opinion testing pending to substantiate the preliminary prognosis.
Sources inform Wilson that Becton has been experiencing some ache and discomfort in latest days, however was decided to battle by the difficulty. It’s believed that the pressure of the earlier damage led to this newest medical setback.
The Jets have been wanting Becton to get all the way down to a lighter weight since he got here into the league, however it has been an ongoing battle for him as his giant body makes it more durable for him to get all the way down to his ideally suited taking part in weight.
That mentioned, Jets coaches have been happy with Becton’s efforts at maintaining himself in form this summer season. Nonetheless, Becton wasn’t given the possibility to compete with George Fant for New York’s left deal with job. Head coach Robert Saleh ended any competitors earlier than it started by declaring on the primary day of coaching camp that Fant would start at left tackle.
Fant is a free agent at season’s finish, and Saleh was adamant that Becton’s “left deal with days aren’t over.” Becton was faraway from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list a couple of days into camp, and there was loads of optimism about his standing with the workforce.
That may make it all of the extra unlucky if Becton has certainly suffered a critical damage. If Becton is pressured to overlook extra time, he’ll be coming into his contract season in 2023 as a participant with a ton of well being query marks on his ledger.
Duane Brown may very well be the following man up
Brown, who will flip 37 years outdated on the finish of the month, met with the Jets and attended the team’s scrimmage over the weekend. If Becton is severely harm, Brown would make for a wonderful substitute if New York can get him beneath contract.
“Anytime you’ve gotten an opportunity so as to add a Professional Bowler, like him, and add to the depth of our roster, we’re at all times going to go looking, far and large,” Saleh mentioned. “There’s curiosity on each side, clearly, and [GM Joe Douglas] has been engaged on that for slightly bit. We’ll see the place everyone seems to be at with reference to that dialog … every part else, with reference to that, will come from Joe.”
Brown has by no means performed a single snap at proper deal with over 14 NFL seasons, so the Jets must determine tips on how to deploy him. He’s clearly a greater match on the left aspect, and on condition that Fant has ample expertise at proper deal with, he’d seemingly make the shift.
NFL groups by no means wish to mess with their offensive line’s continuity, however Becton’s damage may necessitate adjustments. On this state of affairs, New York would have two new starters on the left aspect (Brown and free agent addition Laken Tomlinson), whereas Fant could be relearning an outdated place. It’s not a great scenario, however not less than the Jets have the remainder of camp and the preseason to type issues out.
