FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The 2023 season was a mixed bag for Jets tackle Mekhi Becton.
Becton will start Sunday's game against the Patriots in his 16th game of the season, a big accomplishment after missing most of the past two years.
However, he is the first to admit that he hasn't played very well this season, allowing too many sacks and committing too many penalties.
“I didn't play the way I wanted to in my head like I did my rookie year,” Becton told the Post this week. “But I played the whole season even though everyone thought I wasn't going to play. It was a positive season for me.”
Becton started the year at right tackle and was shifted to the left side in Week 3.
He missed one game with an ankle sprain, but was able to play in the remaining games.
That was the big question heading into the season after a knee injury ended his 2021 and 2022 seasons early.
“It’s definitely something I can develop further,” Becton said. “I haven't really been able to build on anything the last two years. I just finished my rookie year. That's definitely something I can build on going into the offseason.”
Becton's durability was a plus, but his production wasn't at the level he wanted.
According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed 12 sacks, tying him with Tennessee's Andre Dillard for the most sacks allowed by a tackle.
He allowed 50 pressures and was tied for fourth in tackles.
Becton also committed 12 penalties, including eight false starts, according to NFLpenalties.com.
“We had a lot of pre-snap penalties. We had a lot of sacks. I mean, that wasn't what I wanted,” Becton said.
Becton lost a lot of weight last offseason and said he felt his conditioning was good this year. He played with knee pain all season, which he knows he'll have to live with.
“I was fighting a lot, but that's not my biggest concern right now,” Becton said. “I just pushed through the whole season.”
Sunday's game could be Becton's last as a Jet.
The 2020 first-round pick will be a free agent this offseason, but it seems unlikely the team will bring him back.
“That's a question you'll have to ask the people upstairs,” Becton said about whether he'll return. “I would love to come back here and play with Aaron.” [Rodgers], but it's a business after all. It's not really my decision. ”
