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The New York Jets got a surprising return on social media this weekend.
Each week Gang Green releases short little videos on social media where they ask their players random questions and they put all their answers together in a compilation.
On Saturday, December 17 the official Jets account tweeted out one of these video specials with the question, “which holiday movie is your go-to?”
At the 13-second mark of the video, Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton made a surprising appearance and it lasted all of two seconds. For those curious, he said Home Alone.
Jets Insider Explains Mekhi Becton Absence
This was the first time Jets fans or the media for that matter have gotten a look at Becton since he got injured back in August.
On a recent episode of the Flight Deck Podcast, Rich Cimini of ESPN explained why that has been the case:
“Mekhi Becton is at the facility and it’s a very weird dynamic. He is there, I pass his locker every time I’m in the locker room but we never see him. It’s like he is a ghost and that is just one of the mystical things of the NFL.
Players can be in the building rehabbing injuries and we in the media never see them. It is a big building and we only have 45 minutes a day in the locker room. If the player chooses not to be in the locker room during that period, he is obviously not on the practice field, so we never see the guy but he is there.
He is rehabbing his knee injury and the Jets obviously aren’t going to put him on social media. They want to put Breece Hall on social media because he’s a popular player who was having a really good year. I don’t think they want to put Mekhi out front right now. So that’s why that particular dynamic is occurring.”
On August 8 Becton was diagnosed with an “avulsion fracture” of his right kneecap and the Jets ruled him out for the entire 2022 season.
That marks back-to-back campaigns that the former Louisville product has been lost for the year with a season-ending injury.
All in all the former No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft has missed 35 career games in three seasons.
Musical Chairs at OT for the Jets in 2023
With that level of volatility, it is impossible for the Jets to count on Becton being a healthy piece of the puzzle in 2023.
In May the team will have to make a decision on his fifth-year option and it would be surprising if they decided to pick that up. If that ends up being the case, Becton would be entering a contract year in 2023.
In a perfect world, he seizes the day, stays healthy, and becomes a key figure on the Jets’ offensive line for many years to come.
What position will he play?
Becton was drafted to be the left tackle, but this offseason he made the transition to the right side.
George Fant is set to be a free agent and he can play both sides of the line. Duane Brown was signed on late to become the new left tackle and he has performed admirably.
However, Brown is 37 years old and will be 38 by the start of the 2023 season. It seems like it is a very real possibility that he retires this offseason and walks off into the sunset.
Max Mitchell showed a lot of promise in his rookie season but blood clots ruled him out for 2022. The team expects him to make a full recovery but that situation will be something to monitor as well.
Long story short, the Jets have a lot more questions than answers on the offensive line.
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