FLORHAM PARK, NEW JERSEY – AUGUST 23: Mekhi Becton #77 of the New York Jets runs drills at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center on August 23, 2020 in Florham Park, New Jersey. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
The frustrations for New York Jets fans about star tackle Mekhi Becton just got a lot worse as practice kicked off on Monday.
According to ESPN Jets insider Rich Cimini, Becton suffered an injury to his surgically repaired right knee. Becton had to limp to the locker room – and by Cimini’s account he was “limping badly.”
Becton suffered a serious knee injury in Week 1 of last season that wound up costing him the entire season. In the following offseason, he was moved from starting left tackle to starting right tackle.
Jets fans immediately took to Twitter with many swearing up and down their timelines. The ones with more safe-for-work tweets are crying in near-anguish in hopes that Becton is okay.
But the wider reaction from fans was that the team needs to immediately sign free agent Duane Brown, who met with the team this past week and is reportedly interested in joining:
As a rookie, Mekhi Becton seemed like the next great offensive tackle. His combination of size, strength and burst off the line had some thinking he might be a perennial Pro Bowler.
But Becton has notoriously struggled with keeping his playing weight down. And being heavy can turn leg and knee injuries into harder ones to come back from due to the extra weight they have to support.
There was already speculation going into this season that Becton was on the verge of becoming a bust and that the Jets should consider trading him while he still has value. This injury might make that speculation rumble even louder.
Will Mekhi Becton miss the 2022 NFL season with this injury?
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