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New York Jets fans, you can take a collective sigh of relief. No, Mekhi Becton has not completed a 17-game season as an ironman left tackle but he did show up to training camp looking very fit this morning on July 26 — and that’s the first step in a positive turnaround.
NYJ reporter Connor Hughes, formerly of The Athletic, added in a quote tweet that “Becton looks to be in quite incredible shape.” He continued: “Message received from coaching staff & a great sign for #NYJ [offensive line].”
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Becton Is ‘Looking Lean!’
Of course, if you followed Becton’s nutritionist Ann Claiborne on Instagram — or the uSTADIUM app — you might already know this based on her story ahead of training camp.
Claiborne shared an encouraging message with fans, noting that “the boss man [Becton] is looking lean!” She included an eye-opening photo of the former first-round selection in which he looks well under 400 pounds.
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@annclaiborne on InstagramNutritionist Ann Claiborne’s Instagram story about Mekhi Becton.
Like any skeptical Jets fan, my first thought was that Claiborne could be working those angles as a master photographer to couple with her impressive career as a trainer but after his training camp arrival, it’s hard to argue that Becton hasn’t shed a few pounds — to say the least.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini also shared a quote from Claiborne. “He has slimmed down a lot,” she voiced. “He’s looking good, feeling good. Knee is doing a lot better. He is excited to play. I’m proud of my guy.”
Cimini added that “Becton will be removed from [the] PUP [list] once he passes [a] physical.”
Brian Costello of the New York Post echoed Hughes and Cimini: “As camp opens, it sounds like Mekhi Becton has been working hard since minicamp. Jets are excited about the shape he is in.” Generally speaking, if the NYJ beat is unanimously on board you know something must have changed for the better.
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What a Difference a Month Can Make!
At minicamp, Becton made headlines for all the wrong reasons. After missing Organized Team Activities (OTAs) — for good reason, his girlfriend gave birth — he showed up at Florham Park looking just under 400 pounds.
WFAN host and former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason even predicted that “he could get cut” in 2022 if he continues on this trajectory of weight gain and physical fitness.
That was always far-fetched but the fact of the matter was that Becton looked overweight, which would be a major issue if left uncorrected. Below was the photo that concerned fans and analysts around the NFL community.
That was on June 14 and a little over a month later, look at Becton now. The “Middle Initial Podcast” made sure to tell everyone that “The Big Ticket” showed up to training camp in one of their “3X” T-shirts, saluting him for being “in SHAPE!!!!!”
Teammate Alijah Vera-Tucker also told the media (per Hughes) that he’s “seen him [and] I know he was working this offseason. He looked good coming in. He has that mindset to prove himself & everything like that. He looks ready to me.”
At minicamp, Becton told reporters that he’s going to make all of his naysayers “eat their words” while wearing a “Big Bust” T-shirt. The 6-foot-7 23-year-old may not have made good on that promise just yet, but he’s finally on the right path in doing so. It’s time to prove the world wrong.
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