The New York Jets placed right tackle Mekhi Becton on injured reserve, ending his 2022 season. It comes after the former first-round pick suffered a right knee injury in practice on August 8 which will require surgery. This procedure will take place within a week, depending on the NFL Network. New York had to reduce its roster from 90 players to 85 players by Tuesday’s deadline and it was part of that process.
Specifically, Becton would have suffered an avulsion fracture of the right patella. He crashed in the Jets’ second practice game on Monday and injured the same knee that forced him to miss 16 games last season. Initially, there was some optimism that the injury was not significant, but an MRI would later reveal a more serious diagnosis. Following that revelation, head coach Robert Saleh noted last week that Becton’s season was likely over. This move to injured reserve now confirms that.
“We love Mekhi,” Saleh told reporters last week. “We appreciate everything he has done and his run is not over. His story is not over and he has the full support of this organization. If you are a fan who wants to support him, you are more than welcome. If not, keep it moving. Lots of respect for him and really excited for him to come back even stronger and give himself a chance to show why he was a first-round pick.
Since being drafted No. 11 overall in 2020, Becton has missed 18 games through injury, including most of last season after suffering a knee injury in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers. Becton has also occasionally fallen out of favor with the organization due to his conditioning. This summer, the Louisville product was also in the midst of a transformative training camp, with the club moving him from left tackle to right tackle.
With Becton gone for the year, the Jets pivoted to veteran Duane Brown, who recently signed a two-year contract with the team and will serve as the club’s left tackle. George Fant, who was originally scheduled to play on the blind side, will return to right tackle.
