The New York Jets have placed right tackle Mekhi Becton on injured reserve, ending his 2022 season. This comes after the former first round pick suffered a right knee injury in practice on Aug. 8 that will require surgery. That procedure will take place within the week, according to the NFL Network. New York needed to trim its 90-man roster down to 85 players by Tuesday's deadline and this was part of that process.
Specifically, Becton reportedly suffered an avulsion fracture of the right knee cap. He went down on the second play of Jets practice that 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 dire diagnosis. Upon 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's done and his ride is not over. His story is not over and he's got full support of this organization. If you're a fan that wants to support him, you're more than welcome. Otherwise, just keep it moving. A lot 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 back in 2020, Becton has missed 18 games due to injury, including the bulk of last season after going down with a knee injury in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers. Becton has also fallen out of favor with the organization at times 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 deal with the team and will serve as the club's left tackle. George Fant, who was initially slated to play on the blindside, will move back to right tackle.
