They had no choice

It would have been hard for them to do it . . .

ESPN’s Dianna Russini announced on Tuesday that the Jets have declined Mekhi Becton’s fifth-year option, which would have guaranteed his salary at $13.565 million in 2024.

So now he will be entering the 2023 season on the final year of his four-year rookie contract.

The Jets really had no choice but to choose this path for a few reasons.

First of all, he’s coming off a twice-injured right knee.

In the 2021 season opener at Carolina, he suffered a dislocated right knee cap, along with MCL and cartilage damage. It was thought maybe he could come back later in the season, but wasn’t able to.

Then in training camp last summer, he suffered an avulsion fracture to his right knee cap, ending his season.

So it wouldn’t make a lot of sense to guarantee $13.6 million to a player coming off two serious knee injuries to the same knee.

True he has worked very hard this off-season to lose weight and get in great shape. There is a report he has lost 50 pounds.

“Mekhi Becton, he goes to the gym I grew up in, in New Jersey,” Chris Simms said on his podcast. “He’s working out there and I think he’s in the best shape of his life.”

Jets GM Joe Douglas was asked about Becton by a reporter during the draft, and said, “He’s looking tremendous.”

But until he plays tackle football on that knee, it’s hard to know how it will hold up.

The weight loss will help take the stress off that knee, which should help the stability of the knee.

But in a perfect world, the weight loss would have happened last off-season after coming off the first knee injury. However, he didn’t attend the team’s off-season program last year, aside from the mandatory minicamp.

And when he took the field last summer in camp, with his surgical knee braced up, playing at a significant undisclosed weight, the knee gave out. shortly into camp.

So the knee issues are one reason the fifth year had to be declined.

The second reason is to keep him highly motivated.

The best motivational tool teams can use with players who need to be pushed is financial.

You need to dangle the financial carrot.

If you pick up the option, and Becton knows he’s getting $13.6 million next year no matter what, could that impact his drive a little? Who knows, but if you don’t pick up the option, and he knows he’s got to stay in great shape this year and kick butt on the field to earn his next big contract, some would argue that is the best motivational scenario for a player who has had conditioning issues in the past.

A lot of players around the NFL from his class didn’t get their fifth-year options picked up, but mostly because they haven’t played that well. That isn’t the case here. Becton played well as a rookie.

Becton’s case is similar to Tennessee Titan right tackle Jack Conklin, who didn’t have his fifth-year option picked up due to knee issues.

Conklin went out in his fourth year with the Titans, stayed healthy, played very well, and earned a large contract from the Cleveland Browns in free agency.

So a player not getting his fifth-year option picked up doesn’t mean the arrow is pointing down on his NFL career.

Just ask Daniel Jones.

May 2, 2023

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