National Football League

The one position that threatens to bring down Jets, Aaron Rodgers

Published Aug. 24, 2023 3:08 p.m. ET

The New York Jets have wisely invested draft assets and money in their offensive line, with GM Joe Douglas spending two first-round picks on big men (Mekhi Becton, Alijah Vera Tucker) during the past four years. New York signed tackle Duane Brown for three years and $34.5 million in 2022. And the Jets drafted center Joe Tippmann in the second round this year.

And still, there's plenty of legitimate concern that it might not be enough.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is 39 years old. He still has incredible arm talent, but he is no longer the mobile quarterback he once was. He will need sound protection in Nathaniel Hackett's offense, especially with one of the top check-down options, slot receiver Corey Davis, having decided to retire.

The Jets have one goal in 2023: win a Super Bowl. They have the requisite talent to accomplish that goal. But if there's one Achilles' heel on their roster, it's at offensive tackle.

On paper, the Jets' starting tackles are as talented as the players at their other premium positions. Brown and Becton are outstanding players — when on the field. They're comparable to defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, cornerbacks Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed, and receiver Garrett Wilson. Rodgers, who plays the league's most important position, is in a league of his own.

That's exactly what you want: elite players at the most crucial spots.

The problem throughout training camp has been that the Jets haven't had both their tackles on the field due to lingering injuries. That finally changed on Wednesday, with Brown coming off the Physically Unable to Perform list after recovering from rotator cuff surgery this offseason.

Becton, meanwhile, has been limited to a snap count for most of camp due to his return from a set of knee injuries. It has been a strange career for Becton, the No. 11 overall pick of the 2020 draft. He has played just 15 total games and hasn't played in a regular-season game since Week 1 of the 2021 season.

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The situation is trending up. But it's far from settled.

Becton will start in the team's third preseason game, a sign that he's set to start at right tackle for Week 1. He seemed pleased with the accomplishment, even after tweeting in May that "I. AM. A. LEFT. TACKLE!!!"

"It's pretty much like playing a whole new position," Becton said Tuesday. "It's not as easy as people think, just switching from one side to another side. Once you get down pat and get your landmarks, it's pretty much the same position. But starting off, it's kind of hard."

It would be a tremendous feel-good story to see Becton back in the starting lineup. When he's dominant and healthy, he is an absolute delight to watch. We saw that in the second week of the preseason, when he played 28 snaps and logged a PFF grade of 85, the highest on offense.

"He's so talented," Rodgers told reporters. "He's humongous and he's athletic for a man who's 6-8 and 350. So I'm excited about seeing him out there. He's a big teddy bear on the inside. I've been enjoying getting to know him. He's a fierce competitor on the field, and I'm excited about having him out there."

Becton's situation has been unique. The team clearly had to convince him that right tackle was a good spot for him, given his social media outburst. He had to overcome the skepticism and pressure of being a first-round pick hampered by injuries — and the social media trolls who ripped him incessantly. "You got a lot of people that say stuff about you, say little things about you. I'm trying not to let words get to me," Becton said in an interview last year.

He has come a long way, and, frankly, he still has a long way to go.

"The best thing that happened to me over these past few years is my son," Becton said this week. "That's pretty much it. He's the reason why I kept driving and kept pushing to where I'm at and never giving up."

Has he told his son yet that he's starting Week 1?

"I mean, he's 1. He don't really understand. He'll know in a year or two."

I'm not crying and laughing. You're crying and laughing.

Given Becton's injury history, the Jets have been extremely diligent about managing his recovery, particularly because he said in 2022 that he felt playing right tackle made it more likely that his right knee injury would flare up.

"I like Mekhi a lot. I think he's a guy that, like all of us, we all want to feel like we belong," Rodgers told reporters. "Whether by his own doing or just by the way things fell, I think he might not have felt that way. It's normal when you're on injured reserve. I've been a couple times; it's a tough place to be because you feel isolated from the team."

There's a lot to manage with Becton. And it'll all be worth it if he stays healthy. Because that's really all it'll take for him to play at a high level. There's almost zero doubt that he'll be a high performer whenever he's on the field — right tackle or left.

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But that's just the uncertainty at one of the two tackle spots. The questions extend beyond Becton's physical health, mental health and on-field execution. There's also the matter of getting Brown back into the mix at left tackle. He has yet to practice fully with his teammates this year.

He's 38 years old. He's coming off shoulder surgery. The team has no competent backup for either Brown or Becton. Tackles Billy Turner and Max Mitchell have instilled zero confidence in their time playing with the first team in Brown's absence. They have played so poorly that coach Robert Saleh didn't rule out the team trying guard Alijah Vera-Tucker at tackle.

That doesn't scream: We have everything under control. Without a legitimate backup, Brown's injury and age should be a reason for concern. Shouldn't it?

"No, not him," Saleh said of Brown. "Seems like whatever they're putting in water these days, football players are able to last a little longer somehow. I needed that water when I was younger, but no, the way he prepares, I mean you guys see him every day. The guy is just so cognizant and so intentional with how he works day in and day out on his body. So I'm not anticipating any holdbacks because of his age."

Brown tore his rotator cuff during the season and played through it — still logging a respectable PFF grade of 57.8 while allowing just one sack and 23 pressures in 12 games played.

But, honestly, I still have so many questions about this unit.

Can Brown play at a high level all season? Can Becton? We've never seen Becton play a full NFL season.

Can they stay healthy? What happens if one of the starters goes down?

The Jets can begin by seeing whether Mitchell or Turner — or even rookie Carter Warren — hold up. But they might have to get more creative by bumping out Vera-Tucker to a position he hasn't played or practiced much.

With the acquisitions of Rodgers, Dalvin Cook and Allen Lazard, the Jets are ready to engage in a white-knuckle, stressed-out run to the playoffs. The offensive-line drama only ratchets up the tension. Because if there's any position that can sink the Jets, it's offensive tackle.

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 @henrycmckenna.

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