Jets OT Mekhi Becton will “more than likely” miss the 2022-23 season due to an avulsion fracture in his right patella, or kneecap, head coach Robert Saleh announced in a press conference earlier today.
The injury occurred during a noncontact offensive line, and though he was limping, Becton remained in practice. Shortly afterward, he was taking part in 11-on-11’s when he was knocked down by teammate John Franklin-Myers. Onlookers noted that Becton’s knee appeared to bend awkwardly as he fell.
He remained on the ground, visibly in pain, before he got up under his own weight and limped off the practice field and to the locker room where he underwent preliminary testing. Saleh said in the press conference that the test results were encouraging and the hope was this wouldn’t be a long term concern.
“Hindsight is 20/20. We can play that game, for sure,” Saleh said when pressed about why Becton wasn’t removed from practice immediately after the injury was known to have occurred.
The patella is the bone that protects the knee joint and connects the muscles in the front of the thigh to the tibia. Generally, avulsion fractures in the patella occur at the origin of the patellar tendon and restrict the capabilities of the extensor mechanism, which is a complex comprised of the quad muscle and tendon, the patella and patellar tendon, and the surrounding ligaments that allow us to extend our leg. Fractures like this don’t always require surgery and often heal within eight weeks, but recovery lasts much longer (often up to six months).
For Becton, this is yet another right knee injury in his young career. Drafted in 2020 with the 11th overall pick, he played 14 games in his rookie season, but missed almost all of 2021 following a dislocated right kneecap and cartilage damage in the opening game at Carolina.