New York Jets

Jets can't let Mekhi Becton injury derail crucial year for Zach Wilson

Updated Aug. 9, 2022 5:00 p.m. ET

By Henry McKenna
FOX Sports AFC East Writer

The New York Jets have an issue — a 6-foot-7, 363-pound problem.

Jets tackle Mekhi Becton will likely miss the entire 2022 season due to a fractured patella, coach Robert Saleh said Tuesday at a media conference. The trickle-down effect leads to quarterback Zach Wilson, who no longer has reliable bookends at tackle. In fact, he took eight sacks Tuesday at training camp practice, including a string of six plays in which he took five sacks, per reporters on the scene.

Becton played just one game during the 2021 season before a knee injury ended his year. He put together 14 promising performances as a rookie at left tackle in 2020. In his limited time on the field, he has been an absolute mauler for New York.

"You're sick for him," Saleh said, adding later, "We love Mekhi. We appreciate everything he's done. His ride is not over. His story is not over."

The coach's and team's support for Becton, the 11th overall pick out of Louisville in 2020, seemed to resonate with the tackle, as he responded on Twitter.

The Jets need to immediately find a solution for their problem at tackle. Becton moved to the right side after the team elected to place veteran George Fant on Zach Wilson's blindside. Their depth options include Connor Williams, who is set to miss a few weeks due to an injury, and rookie Max Mitchell, a 2022 fourth-round pick who might be a compelling prospect but will need time to develop after playing for the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns.

That's why New York's attention has shifted toward 36-year-old free-agent tackle Duane Brown, who visited with the Jets this weekend before Becton's injury. Brown has suitors beyond the Jets, per a league source. That will surely be a factor as New York and general manager Joe Douglas continue to make a push to sign him.

"I don't have an update [on Brown]. I know Joe and his staff are working on that. I know, after the Green and White, the feelings are mutual," Saleh said.

Saleh said he and Brown have history. The head coach served as a quality-control assistant when the Houston Texans picked the tackle in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. But there are potential hurdles.

If Brown joined the team, he might have interest in playing left tackle (and getting paid like a left tackle). That could bump Fant to the right side. There's also the question of salary-cap space. New York has about $9 million to spend. That's roughly what the Jets are spending per year on Fant, who signed a three-year, $27.3 million deal in 2020. It's likely the Jets would have to move money around to free up space for Brown.

But it's worth it. New York might not be a shoo-in for a playoff spot in a division in which the Buffalo Bills look Super Bowl-ready. However, the Jets must consider the impact a shoddy offensive line could have on their second-year quarterback.

Wilson's rookie season was a mess, in part because of a weak supporting cast. Saleh and his staff need to figure out whether Wilson is the answer at quarterback, and the Jets can't do that if Wilson is getting sacked at a clip similar to 2021, when they allowed the fourth-most sacks in the NFL (53).

The Jets have backed themselves into a corner. They need Brown. The progress of Wilson — and, in turn, the progress of the franchise — depends upon it.

Prior to joining FOX Sports as the AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @McKennAnalysis.