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New York Jets first-round pick Mekhi Becton is not a fan of how the team’s coaches handled his injury last season.
Becton’s three years in the NFL have been less than ideal. After playing 14 games his rookie season in 2020, Becton could only suit up for one game in 2021 after suffering a knee injury.
Though it was supposed to be at the most eight weeks of recovery, setbacks and the Jets’ switching him from left to right tackle ultimately kept him out the rest of the way.
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Mekhi Becton of the New York Jets is helped off the field after being injured during the third quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on September 12, 2021, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Mike Comer/Getty Images)
Becton says the position change led to him not being able to play at all in 2022.
"It made no sense to put me at right tackle," Becton said via Newsday. "I hurt my right knee. That’s going to be the knee I put the most pressure on [while backpedaling in pass protection]. I explained it [to the coaches], but no one cared.
"I got forced to play a position I don’t play, and then I was pretty much telling them I wasn’t feeling good the whole time throughout camp, and I was told I shouldn’t be complaining," Becton said. "'Go out there and do it.' I was limping throughout the whole practice, and I just took a step and my knee buckled, and I got hurt again and had to get reconstructive surgery."
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Becton fractured his kneecap and was deemed out for the 2022 season before it even began.
There was speculation regarding Becton’s injury setbacks because being overweight was a hot topic since he entered the league. He’s listed at 6 feet 7 inches tall and weighing 363 pounds, but he has admitted to it fluctuating quite a bit if he isn’t eating right and working out.
Then again, Becton does make a point with the position switch that he’d have to favor his right leg while playing right tackle.
New York Jets tackle Mekhi Becton speaks to the media at the team's practice facility in Florham Park, New Jersey, on July 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Going into the 2023 season, Becton is entering a crucial year. The Jets already declined his fifth-year option, meaning he’s set for free agency in 2024. If he wishes to continue playing with the Jets, or find somewhere else to call home in the NFL, he’ll need to stay on the field.
With the Jets in prime position to break their playoff drought of 12 years in 2023, Becton is excited like the rest of his peers at One Jets Drive in Florham Park, New Jersey.
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"I don’t want to look too far ahead, but I definitely feel way more confident than I’ve felt these past three years," Becton said. "I feel like we’re going to win a lot of games, have a lot of fun, and just the energy and vibe with the players at the facility is uplifting."
Becton noted losing 50 pounds this offseason and is ready to compete for that right tackle job with Max Mitchell, a rookie from the 2022 draft.
Mekhi Becton of the New York Jets looks on during training camp at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center on August 19, 2020, in Florham Park, New Jersey. (Robert Sabo-Pool/Getty Images)
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The Jets liked what they saw from Duane Brown at left tackle last season, so he’s expected to remain there to protect Aaron Rodgers’ blind side.