New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Jets’ Becton having MRI on right knee
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — New York Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton left practice early Monday after appearing to injure his surgically repaired right knee early.
Becton, entering his third NFL season, was being evaluated and the team was awaiting MRI results.
The 6-foot-7 lineman 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 firstround 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.
“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.”
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.