Becton knee injury more serious than first thought
FLORHAM PARK, N.J., Aug 9, (AP): The injury to New York Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton’s surgically repaired right knee is more serious than initially believed after he left early in practice Monday.
A person with direct knowledge of the injury told The Associated Press that Becton will continue to have tests on the knee, and it is unrelated to the one that sidelined him for almost all of last season. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team did not announce details on the injury.
NFL Network first reported that the injury to Becton was more concerning than the team originally thought.
The 6-foot-7 Becton, entering his third NFL season, was run-blocking at right tackle on the second play of team drills when he went down on the grass and immediately grabbed at his knee. The 2020 first-round draft pick was down for a few moments before trying to get up, and needed assistance from trainers to walk off the field.
He took off his pads and eventually walked very gingerly on his own to the locker room with a noticeable limp.
Coach Robert Saleh wasn’t overly concerned shortly after practice because initial reports appeared to indicate Becton avoided a serious injury.
“The only thing I got is that it’s stable and it seems fine,” coach Robert Saleh said. “That’s preliminary, obviously. We’re just going to get it checked for precautionary reasons. But as of now, it doesn’t seem like it’s a big deal, but knock on wood, hopefully that stays the case.”
An MRI on the knee later in the afternoon apparently revealed otherwise.
If Becton is forced to miss any significant time, it would be a major setback for a player in the middle of adjusting to a position change. Becton entered his first two NFL seasons as the starter on the left side, but suffered a dislocated right kneecap and cartilage damage in the opening game last year at Carolina. He missed the rest of the season and was replaced by George Fant, who slid over from right tackle and played well in Becton’s place.
Entering training camp, Saleh announced Fant would retain the starting spot at left tackle and Becton would move to the right side. Becton appeared to be making strides at right tackle in recent practices, but began wearing a brace on his right knee late last week.
He was also on what Saleh called a “pitch count” during the team’s scrimmage at MetLife Stadium on Saturday night, and was taken out before practice was over.
During positional drills Monday, Becton was seen limping a bit and adjusting the brace on his knee before participating in team drills.
Becton, whose weight has also been a hot topic during his brief NFL career, has played in just 15 games for the Jets. ESPN reported he ballooned to around 400 pounds last season, but Becton reported for camp noticeably slimmer than he was in minicamp in June.
Justin Tucker made his new contract sound about as routine as one of his clutch kicks.
“I joked to (head coach John Harbaugh) one day out at practice,” Tucker said. “We were just kind of just generally talking about the idea. I said, ‘I think something could get done in like five minutes.’ And sure enough, it took about five minutes.”
Tucker and the Baltimore Ravens agreed to a four-year extension worth $24 million. The agreement includes $17.5 million guaranteed for the star kicker, whose previous deal was through 2023.
The contract was part of a feel-good Monday for the Ravens, who also welcomed running back J.K. Dobbins back from the physically-unable-to-perform list.
A five-time All-Pro, Tucker has been a game-changer for the Ravens in his 10 years with the team. He’s made a record 91.1% of his field goal attempts, and his 1,360 points are the most ever by a player through his first 10 seasons.