Getty New York Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton being helped off of the field after suffering a big injury.
Back in August the New York Jets and Mekhi Becton experienced some devastating news.
The former Louisville product suffered another season-ending injury for the second straight year.
This left the Gang Green offensive line crippled and revealed a murky future for Becton with the green and white.
Joe Douglas Provides an Update on Jets OT Mekhi Becton
Naturally, with Becton being injured during the preseason and out for the year we haven’t heard from him or about him for months.
However general manager Joe Douglas met with the media following the 2022 NFL trade deadline and provided a massive update for his big man:
“Mekhi had the procedure out in LA and stayed out there for a few weeks. He has been back in the building since early last month. He has been rehabbing every day in our training room and I know his focus is coming back next year in the best shape he can be. We feel really optimistic that he’s going to be full strength for OTAs.”
#Jets GM Joe Douglas shared some amazing news: OT Mekhi Becton (@BigTicket73) has been back in the building rehabbing every day, ‘we feel really optimistic that he’s going to be full strength for OTAs next year’ 💪🏽 🙏🏾: 🎥 @nyjets #TakeFlight @LouisvilleFB
The 23-year-old has had a rough go in the NFL since being the No. 11 overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft.
Over the last two seasons, Becton has missed 33 of 34 possible games. Whether it is two flukes in back-to-back years or developing a legitimate injury-prone label, the result are the same with Becton off of the field.
Although when he has been on the field Becton has proven to be an absolute stud with what one NFL exec called “hall-of-fame traits.”
What Is Next for Jets, Mekhi Becton
Douglas said all the right things as it pertains to Becton’s future. However, this current regime with Robert Saleh, John Benton, and Mike LaFleur has only had one game, or more specifically 48 snaps to evaluate him.
It’s hard to imagine there is a strong connective tissue between the Jets’ current staff and Becton.
With the number of games he has missed and the overall uncertainty around his health, there is a strong belief that he will be entering a contract year in 2023.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic recently went through the Jets’ thought process as it pertains to Becton’s upcoming fifth-year option. In May, Gang Green will have to decide whether or not to accept or decline that option, Rosenblatt said “it would be surprising if they didn’t decline it.”
However, there is also a chance they pull a Sam Darnold. The Jets traded him before they had to make that decision and thus that onus then fell on the receiving team (Carolina Panthers). Ultimately they chose to accept his fifth-year option and are currently dealing with the cap ramifications of that choice.
On our trade deadline podcast, Jets insider Will Parkinson suggested the Jets could nurse Becton back to health and flip him during the 2023 NFL draft.
Whether that is executed as a strategy to trade back up into the first round or flipping him to a team that missed out on their offensive tackle targets in free agency.
It is hard to get a pulse of what Becton’s value would be to the rest of the NFL considering all of his injury issues. However, there is always a team that believes they can get a player right in their own environment so we’ll have to see if that opportunity presents itself.
Regardless it is exciting news to hear that Becton’s rehab is going well and he should be ready to go for the team’s offseason training activities in 2023.