MRI reveals more serious knee injury to New York Jets' Mekhi Becton than initially thought, source says

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — An MRI exam of Mekhi Becton's right knee revealed a more serious injury than initially anticipated, a source told ESPN on Monday night, raising fear that the New York Jets' starting right tackle could be sidelined indefinitely.

The 2020 first-round pick injured the same knee that required season-ending surgery last September, but this was described as a «different» injury, the source said. Becton will have additional tests Tuesday to determine a diagnosis, but the Jets' concern level was elevated after receiving the MRI results. One source said the assumption is that Becton, 23, will miss significant time.

Becton appeared to hurt the knee in an early offensive-line drill Monday morning. He limped around, but stayed in practice. A few minutes later, on the second play of an 11-on-11 period, Becton fell backward after being jolted by defensive end John Franklin-Myers. His right foot seemed to get caught in the grass, perhaps causing his knee to bend awkwardly.

Becton removed his shoulder pads and limped immediately to the locker room with members of the training staff. He started wearing a knee brace last Friday, an indication that he may have started to feel discomfort. One source said it was nothing more than typical training camp soreness.

After Monday's practice, coach Robert Saleh was cautiously optimistic, saying preliminary tests indicated no serious injury. Based on what he was told by doctors, he said the knee was «stable» and the MRI was precautionary.

«As of now, it doesn't seem like a big deal, but — knock on wood — hopefully that stays the case,» Saleh said.

For Becton, who has a history of injuries and conditioning issues, any time lost could be potentially significant. Late Monday, the