Less than a week before the Jets must finalize their 53-man roster, their expected left tackle is ready to go. Robert Saleh said (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini) Duane Brown is off the active/PUP list and on track to practice Wednesday.
Brown, 37, has been out while rehabbing offseason shoulder surgery. The 15-year veteran played through a torn rotator cuff last season, returning from an IR stay to start his Jets tenure. The former Pro Bowler did not play up to his usual standards, but the injury certainly impacted his performance. Saleh showed faith in Brown this offseason, and despite Mekhi Becton‘s re-emergence, the veteran remains the likely Week 1 left tackle starter.
The Jets’ tackle situation has been under a microscope for months. The team’s effort to draft Broderick Jones did not pan out, with the Steelers jumping in front of them. Becton has worked as a second-string left tackle during training camp, though the slimmed-down blocker is now moving toward being the Week 1 right tackle starter. Neither Billy Turner nor Max Mitchell have seized the right-side gig, opening the door for Becton, who has not played a regular-season game since September 2021.
Brown’s form following several months of rehab will obviously be worth watching, given the brighter spotlight on the Jets this year. As the team prepares to begin its run with Aaron Rodgers, the issues at tackle that have cropped up during practice have become a regular talking point. Brown could be in position to put a stop to that, though he is the league’s oldest active tackle. The former Texans and Seahawks stalwart will turn 38 in October.
Tied to a two-year, $20MM contract that came to pass due to Becton’s second major knee injury — in August 2022 — Brown started 12 games for the Jets last season. Pro Football Focus slotted the five-time Pro Bowler 69th at the position, marking the worst placement of his career. But both Mitchell and Turner — PFF’s 70th- and 71st-ranked tackles in 2022 — are also coming off seasons in which health issues limited them. Turner battled knee trouble in Denver, missing ninegames, while a blood clot issue ended Mitchell’s rookie year early. The Jets also played without George Fant for most of last season. Fant is now with the Texans, while Brown is due to count $11.28MM against the Jets’ cap.
While Becton could conceivably be a left tackle option as well — a reality he aggressively pushed for this offseason — the Jets’ best bet is likely Brown returning to form and Becton staying healthy while manning the RT post. This has the potential to be an unstable situation, though Brown’s comeback obviously represents a positive development ahead of Rodgers’ debut.
37? The Jets are once again putting all their faith in old-timers with injury histories…
I think Duane Brown still has something left and blocking for Rodgers is going to seem like a holiday compared to blocking for Russell Wilson who will soon be over the 500x sacked barrier.
Can we move on from this viewpoint that they wanted Broderick Jones?? It’s pretty well documented that McDonald is the guy they wanted
Broderick Jones is having some rookie growing pains in Pittsburgh, and it doesn’t appear he is ready to start, so he wouldn’t have been much immediate help. J.Dougie tried to sign Orlando Brown Jr. in free agency and even offered him more $$ than he signed for in KC.