Mekhi Becton’s third season with Jets ends in heartbreak after being placed on IR

New York Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton’s 2022 season is officially over. 

Amid a number of roster moves on Tuesday, the Jets officially placed Becton on injured reserve after he suffered a chip fracture in his right kneecap during a practice session last week, marking back-to-back seasons that the 2020 first-round draft pick will be sidelined because of knee injuries. 

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. 
(AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Becton is scheduled to meet with the same doctor that performed arthroscopic knee surgery on quarterback Zach Wilson Tuesday after he sustained a bruised bone and torn meniscus during Friday’s preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. 

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“Mekhi has walked in this building and he has taken every single punch you can get from every which way and he shows up and he works his tail off and he grinds every single day,” head coach Robert Saleh said after last week’s injury. 

New York Jets tackle Mekhi Becton speaks to the media at the NFL football team’s practice facility in Florham Park, N.J., Wednesday, July 27, 2022. 
(AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

“He’s fighting for his family, for himself, for his teammates, for this organization, for this fan base and he’s doing everything, and then everyone wants to drop him like a wet rag. That ain’t the case. We love Mekhi. We appreciate everything he’s done. His ride is not over. His story is not over.”

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Becton, the No. 11 overall draft pick in 2020, was carted off the field during the Jets’ Week 1 matchup against the Carolina Panthers last season. He missed the rest of the season after dislocating his right kneecap and sustaining cartilage damage in the same knee. 

Mekhi Becton #77 of the New York Jets is helped off the field after being injured during the third quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on Sept. 12, 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina. 
(Mike Comer/Getty Images)

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Becton was moved over to right tackle in the offseason and will now be replaced by five-time Pro Bowler Duane Brown, who signed a two-year $22 million deal immediately following Becton’s injury. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.