Jets' Offensive Line Questions Resurface in Carolina

Protection breaks down during 2:00 offense, battles at tackle continue

The Monday Night Football season opener is still 33 days away, but the New York Jets' starting offensive tackles are TBD.

Duane Brown hasn't been available since training camp began and Mekhi Becton is slowly progressing in the ramp-up required after a two-year absence.

Neither second-year pro Max Mitchell nor veteran Billy Turner have dominated their reps as they frequently flip between the right and left sides of the offensive line.

"We got to figure out who the first five is going to be. So, a lot of guys in competition right now," said quarterback Aaron Rodgers following Wednesday's joint practice with the Carolina Panthers. "It seems like they’re switching the tackles left and right, just about daily with Max and Billy, just looking for consistency with those guys."

Brown, who turns 38 years old at the end of the month, remains on the PUP list after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery. The reliable left tackle played 12 games while battling a torn rotator cuff in 2022, but his recovery has leaked into the NFL Preseason.

"He needs to get some reps and some training for sure. Football shape is football shape," said head coach Robert Saleh prior to the first of two combined sessions with the Panthers. "He knows his body, he’s been doing this for a long time, and there’s no question he’ll be ready for Week 1."

Becton, who played only a handful of snaps during the Hall of Fame Game due to the field surface, was active in the competitive setting on Wednesday.

"Every day is important for him, every day. He’s making progress, he’s getting a lot better. He had a really good day yesterday and today’s going to strain everybody," said Saleh. "Today is going to be a good test for him, in the confidence that he has in his knee."

It apparently wasn't a great day for the offensive line, in general, at Wofford College.

"I think it could have been better," said veteran center Connor McGovern. "They [the Panthers] were firing off. They're a good team. They came out playing hard."

In particular, the line's seemingly botched protections resulted in a disappointing three-and-out during two-minute work.

"Obviously, two-minute [offense], we gotta finish better than that. That's 100 percent on the O-line, on protection," said McGovern. "There's gonna be good things, there's gonna be bad things. The good thing is, it's practice. There's a lot of stuff we can fix and learn from."

Mitchell, who was a Week 1 fill-in starter as a rookie, and Turner, who has experience in Nathaniel Hackett's offense, appear to be taking most of the first-team reps at tackle for now, but their starting status has been far from solidified.

"We’ll figure it out," said Rodgers, who faced some extra heat against the Panthers due to poor blocking. "There are a few jobs up for grabs, for sure. It will be nice to see somebody [in the] next couple weeks to grab one of those."

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