Mekhi Becton struggled on his first day of training camp with the Eagles
Mekhi Becton is no longer the New York Jets’ problem.
It’s a good thing, too. They don’t need any more training camp distractions.
Becton did his usual thing on the first day of training camp with the Philadelphia Eagles. He reportedly threw up as many as 10 times on the sideline.
First puke of Eagles training camp. Mekhi Becton. I counted 10 heaves. He was a trooper though. Right back in there a play or 2 later.
— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) July 24, 2024
It could have just been the heat or getting back into the swing of things. Still, the Jets went through countless questions about Becton’s conditioning throughout his tenure with them. He returned from a season-ending knee injury in 2021 at close to 400 pounds and promptly tore his kneecap early in training camp in 2022.
It’s different when the player is a backup as opposed to the team’s projected starting tackle. Still, it’s not a good look for Becton.
The Jets declined Becton’s fifth-year option, making 2023 his final season with the team. A good year would have allowed him to cash in on a ballooning tackle market. Instead, Becton allowed the fifth-most pressures of any tackle (50), tied for the most sacks (12), and was called for 15 penalties.
The Jets never attempted to re-sign him, and he picked up with the Eagles post-draft on a one-year, $2.75 million deal with $2.75 million in incentives. Given the Eagles’ history with developing offensive linemen, they likely saw it as a low-risk, high-reward prospect.
Still, it’s worth noting that Andre Dillard was the other tackle to allow 12 sacks in 2023 — a former Eagles first-round pick who did not pan out for them. Injuries sapped Becton of his power, leaving him with the poor technique he never improved upon at the NFL level. There’s always a chance he regains his previous form, but it’s not something the Jets lose sleep over.
Let the Eagles worry about Becton now. The Jets have bigger (no pun intended) fish to fry.
