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New York Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton left practice early Monday after appearing to injure his surgically repaired right knee early.
Becton, entering his third NFL season, was being evaluated and the team was awaiting MRI results.
The 6-foot-7 lineman was run-blocking at right tackle on the second play of team drills when he went down on the grass and immediately grabbed at his knee. The 2020 first-round draft pick was down for a few moments before trying to get up, and needed assistance from trainers to walk off the field.
He took off his pads and eventually walked very gingerly on his own to the locker room with a noticeable limp.
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"The only thing I got is that it's stable and it seems fine," coach Robert Saleh said. "That's preliminary, obviously. We're just going to get it checked for precautionary reasons. But as of now, it doesn't seem like it's a big deal, but knock on wood, hopefully that stays the case."
If Becton is forced to miss any significant time, it would be a major setback for a player in the middle of adjusting to a position change. Becton entered his first two NFL seasons as the starter on the left side, but suffered a dislocated right kneecap and cartilage damage in the opening game last year at Carolina. He missed the rest of the season and was replaced by George Fant, who slid over from right tackle and played well in Becton's place.
New York Jets guard Mekhi Becton takes part in drills at the NFL football team's training camp in Florham Park, N.J., Thursday, July 28, 2022. On Monday, Becton went down with a knee injury. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Entering training camp, Saleh announced Fant would retain the starting spot at left tackle and Becton would move to the right side. Becton appeared to be making strides at right tackle in recent practices, but began wearing a brace on his right knee late last week. He was also on what Saleh called a "pitch count" during the team's scrimmage at MetLife Stadium on Saturday night, and was taken out before practice was over.
During positional drills Monday, Becton was seen limping a bit and adjusting the brace on his knee before participating in team drills.
Becton, whose weight has also been a hot topic during his brief NFL career, has played in just 15 games for the Jets. ESPN reported he ballooned to around 400 pounds last season, but Becton reported for camp noticeably slimmer than he was in minicamp in June.
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The Jets' depth at offensive tackle was already a question mark before Becton's latest injury, especially after backup Conor McDermott went down with a lower ankle injury in the scrimmage. Saleh said McDermott should be sidelined a week or two, but the Jets have shown interest in free agent offensive tackle Duane Brown.
The former Seahawks and Texans veteran, a five-time Pro Bowl pick who turns 37 on Aug. 30, met with the Jets over the weekend and attended the team's scrimmage. Still, Saleh insisted the Jets still like their depth chart at tackle and aren't necessarily desperate to add a veteran as a backup.
New York Jets tackle Mekhi Becton speaks to the media at the NFL football team's practice facility in Florham Park, N.J., on July 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Chuma Edoga has filled in at times at left tackle this summer for Fant, and the Jets also have Derrick Kelly, Grant Hermanns and Max Mitchell, a fourth-rounder in April, at the offensive tackle spots.
"Getting a guy like Duane Brown is kind of like getting spoiled, in a sense," Saleh said. "Just having such great talent, I guess, at one position. But we do have faith in our backup offensive linemen. Any time you get hurt and you've got to test your depth, it does become scary waters. But at the same time, that's why we put in all this work and do our best to try to prepare these guys to take those spots.
"So, it doesn't create panic at all, in my mind."
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NOTES: CB D.J. Reed, RB Ty Johnson and DE Vinny Curry all were held out of practice with hamstring ailments. ... Saleh said he expects the starters on offense and defense to play about one quarter in New York's preseason opener Friday night at Philadelphia.
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