Jets coach has a message for Mekhi Becton after deleted tweet
New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh has made both tackle spots on his offensive line an open competition, and one of the players involved in those competitions — Mekhi Becton — doesn't seem interested in having to fight for his spot.
In a now-deleted tweet, Becton said on Saturday "I. Am. A. Left. Tackle!!!" indicating that he believes the job should be his.
Saleh's response to that message, via the New York Daily News: "Go earn the left tackle. Competition."
“The expectation for him is no different than anybody else,” Saleh added. “It’s redundant, I feel like I say it to you guys all the time, but you wake up and find a way to get better and that’s who you are every single day. That’s the expectation. If it leads to starting, if it leads to a left tackle position, it doesn’t matter. If you go to bed satisfied with the way you approach each day and the way you attack it, odds are, it is going to work out in your favor. If it doesn’t, at least you go to bed knowing you tried your best."
The Jets drafted Becton with the No. 11 overall pick in 2020 but injuries have ravaged the early part of his career.
After starting 14 games as a rookie, he has managed to appear in just one game in the two years that followed.
He missed all but one game of the 2021 season after suffering a knee injury, and then missed the entire 2022 season after fracturing his right kneecap in training camp.
The Jets made the decision this past week to not pick up his fifth-year option. It is understandable given the nature of his injuries and the fact he just has not had an opportunity to show what he can do.
Duane Brown, Max Mitchell, Billy Turner and Cedric Ogbuehi are the other players involved in the battles for the two starting tackle spots along with Becton.
More must-reads: