Mekhi Becton shares frustration with how the Jets coaching staff has handled him

As part of a wider range interview with Bob Glauber of Newsday, Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton expressed some unhappiness with how the team has handled his development, particularly a move to right tackle a year ago.

“It made no sense to put me at right tackle,” he said. “I hurt my right knee. That’s going to be the knee that I put the most pressure on [while backpedaling in pass protection]. I explained it [to the coaches], but no one cared.”

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“I got forced to play a position I don’t play, and then I was pretty much telling them I wasn’t feeling good the whole time throughout camp, and I was told I shouldn’t be complaining,” he said. “Go out there and do it. I was limping throughout the whole practice, and I just took a step and my knee buckled and I got hurt again and had to get reconstructive surgery.”

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Asked about his relationship with the coaching staff now, Becton said: “They’re OK. I mean, it is what it is.”

This is an interesting interview that goes far deeper than Becton’s injury last year so I encourage you to read it. Obviously, though, criticism of the coaching staff is always going to be the headline when it appears like this.

It is very difficult to say how much extra stress was put on Becton’s leg by playing right tackle vs. playing left tackle. There were, however, reports that Becton was limping right before he suffered that injury. We will never know for sure how connected they were, but Becton seems to believe they were.

I think the last comment is also noteworthy. Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur is gone, but Becton isn’t expressing warm regards for the current coaching staff. This isn’t necessarily the end of the world. Players can still perform at a high level even when they aren’t thrilled with their coaches. Two years ago the current Jets quarterback was the league MVP even when he was in open warfare with the management of his former team.

Nonetheless, Becton is an extremely important player for the Jets this season so when he speaks like this it is bound to draw attention.