Jets fans will laugh at familiar Mekhi Becton injury drama in Los Angeles

Los Angeles Chargers offensive lineman Mekhi Becton’s latest comments sound a little too familiar for New York Jets fans. Becton is once again blaming a coaching staff for his injury issues — just like he did with the Jets.

In an interview with ESPN’s Kris Rhim, the former Jets first-round pick admitted he’s “very frustrated” with how the Chargers are managing his health and added that he hopes to remain healthy and finish games this season, “if I’m allowed.”

Becton has started 10 games for the Chargers in 2025, but he's played just 69% of his team's offensive snaps, as he's repeatedly sat out multiple series or entire games because of various injuries.

Becton remarked in the interview that things are "done a different way" in Los Angeles than he's used to, taking further shots at his own coaching staff. Chargers fans may be caught off guard by this storyline, but Jets fans have seen this movie before.

Just over a year removed from a redemption season with the Philadelphia Eagles — where he stayed healthy, played well, and won a Super Bowl as part of the NFL’s best offensive line — Becton suddenly finds himself back in the same cycle that derailed his Jets tenure.

Ex-Jets offensive lineman Mekhi Becton is blaming his coaching staff for injuries again

Becton signed a two-year, $20 million contract with the Chargers this offseason, but his first — and likely only, at this point — season in Los Angeles has been an unmitigated disaster.

His 40.5 Pro Football Focus grade ranks 79th out of 81 qualified guards, making him one of the lowest-graded offensive linemen in football. His run-block win rate sits at a disastrous 62.7 percent, second to last in the league.

Though he has started 10 games, Becton has repeatedly missed drives due to injuries, yet continues to insist he has no idea why the team is taking him off the field. “That’s an upstairs question,” he told Rhim. “You’ve got to ask them.”

That sounds eerily similar to a situation that unfolded in Florham Park a few years ago. In 2023, as part of an exclusive interview with Newsday’s Bob Glauber, Becton blamed the Jets for his recurring knee issues.

Becton, still a member of the Jets at the time, insisted that being moved to right tackle “made no sense,” and that coaches ignored him when he warned it could jeopardize his recovery.

Now, two years later, Becton is once again airing frustration with the way a coaching staff is handling him, and once again battling injuries while playing the worst football of his career.

Becton thrived playing alongside All-Pro linemates and under respected offensive line guru Jeff Stoutland in Philadelphia. But now that he’s no longer surrounded by elite talent or elite coaching, his performance has plummeted, and the injury woes have resurfaced.

The Chargers appear likely to move on this offseason, and it’s unclear what market Becton will have after another year marred by injuries and inconsistency. The repeated drama surrounding his injury management — now with multiple organizations — can't help his stock, either.

Meanwhile, the Jets have moved on entirely, feeling confident in their young tackle duo of Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou. Unfortunately, whatever happens next for Becton, it’s hard to ignore the pattern.

And for Jets fans, it’s even harder not to shake their heads and think they saw this coming a mile away. So much for that redemption arc.