The New York Jets were dealt a potentially significant blow during their training camp session Monday. According to reporters on the scene, offensive tackle Mekhi Becton went down on the second play of practice and appeared to have suffered an injury to his surgically repaired right knee. After that, the 2020 first-round pick limped to the locker room and was sidelined for the rest of the day.
Following practice, head coach Robert Saleh said Becton would be getting an MRI on his knee, but that there was optimism that the injury was not significant, as Saleh noted that the preliminary tests suggested the knee was “stable.”
However, the injury is “more concerning” than the team first thought, the NFL Network reported Monday evening, and is unrelated to the previous knee injury that kept him out nearly all of last year. Becton reportedly has more medical appointments Tuesday that will hopefully provide more information on the extent of the injury.
Saleh dismissed the notion that Becton’s injury makes finding more depth at offensive tackle a more pressing need. That said, veteran left tackle Duane Brown recently had a free agent visit with the club, so he could be an option if Becton is forced to miss time or if New York simply wants to create more depth at the position.
Becton was sidelined for essentially all of last season after suffering an injury to that right knee in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers. Since being drafted No. 11 overall back in 2020, Becton has missed 18 games due to injury and has fallen out of favor with the organization at times due to his conditioning.
The Louisville product is also in the midst of a transformative training camp this year, with the club moving him from left tackle to right tackle.
