Former New York Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton has agreed to terms with the Philadelphia Eagles on a one-year contract worth up to $5.5 million, two people familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Sunday night.
The contract is pending a physical, according to the people who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team didn’t announce the signing.
ESPN first reported that Becton plans to join the Eagles, who needed some depth on their offensive line behind left tackle Jordan Mailata and right tackle Lane Johnson after backup Jack Driscoll signed with Miami as a free agent last month and Philadelphia didn’t draft any tackles over the weekend.
Becton was the 11th overall pick in the 2020 draft by the Jets out of Louisville and was expected to be a long-term anchor of New York’s offensive line. Knee injuries hampered his development after a solid rookie season.
The 6-foot-7 Becton started 16 games last season for the Jets, but New York didn’t pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal and allowed him to become a free agent.
The Jets revamped their offensive line this offseason, signing veteran Tyron Smith to a one-year deal worth up to $20 million to be their left tackle and trading for Morgan Moses to play on the right side. They also drafted Penn State left tackle Olu Fashanu with the No. 11 pick – the same spot at which Becton was taken – last Thursday night.
Becton injured his right knee in the 2021 regular-season opener against Carolina and needed arthroscopic surgery – and he didn’t play in another game that year. He came back for training camp the following summer and was set to play right tackle, but injured the same knee during practice and needed major surgery.
After weighing at least 400 pounds at one point, Becton lost weight during his rehabilitation and was down to a svelte 350 — the lightest he has been since his college days at Louisville – during training camp last summer. He was set to play right tackle, but moved back to the left side when Duane Brown was injured early in the season.
Becton will now work closely with Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, who has overseen one of the NFL’s best O-lines over the past several years.
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AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi contributed to this report.
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