When Jets left tackle Mekhi Becton hurt his knee in the first week of the season, word was that he’d miss four-to-eight weeks while recovering, but the actual timeline has been a longer one.
Becton remains on injured reserve heading into Week 14 and Jets head coach Robert Saleh said on Wednesday that he’s still not ready to begin practicing with the team. Saleh insists Becton “hasn’t had a setback or anything” and said that he’s “still hopeful” about getting the 2020 first-round pick back despite the limited time left in the team’s season.
“No, I don’t think it’s ever too late,” Saleh said at his press conference. “I think he’s got a desire to play for his teammates, play for his family and all that. So, whether it’s one game, two games, I don’t think it really matters to him, he just wants to get back on the field.”
Even if Becton does make it back before the year is out, all of the missed time makes this year a lost one in terms of the kind of development the Jets were hoping to see from a player they want to be a foundational piece of their offensive line.
