New York Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton wary of critics, set 'to make them eat their words'

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — New York Jets tackle Mekhi Becton, nicknamed «Big Ticket,» delivered a big message Wednesday to his critics.

«I'm going to make them eat their words,» he said at the conclusion of a two-day minicamp.

Becton, who has battled injuries and a weight problem since his promising rookie year in 2020, sounded determined to change the narrative. In his first media availability since last September, he showed up wearing a blue T-shirt that read: «Big Bust.»

Encircling «Big Bust» was a list of perceived negatives: «Fat… Lazy… Out of Shape… Bum… Sucks… Overweight… Injury Prone.» «A lot of words I've been called my whole life, so I put it on a shirt,» he said, adding that he has a chip on his shoulder.

Becton, listed at 6-foot-7, 363 pounds (his weight from the 2020 scouting combine), has a lot to prove in 2021 after missing 16 games last season due to knee surgery.

After skipping the voluntary portion of the offseason — he trained in Texas, where his girlfriend delivered the couple's first child last month — Becton was held out of practice at the mandatory minicamp. That state of his knee was a key question, as was his overall conditioning.

Neither Becton nor coach Robert Saleh divulged his exact weight. Saleh, usually effusive about players in great shape, was noticeably lukewarm on Becton. He wasn't critical, but he didn't go out of his way to compliment him.

«He has 40 days to continue to work and get himself ready to play football,» Saleh said, referencing the start of training camp.

Becton, whose weight ballooned as high as 400 last season, didn't sound concerned, saying he's «satisfied» with his current weight. As for his surgically repaired knee, he said it's «getting better.» He didn't wear a brace or a