New York Jets

The New York Jets have signed free-agent offensive tackle Duane Brown to a two-year contract, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Schefter later reported the deal is worth $22 million.

Brown will fill in at offensive tackle for Mekhi Becton, who will likely miss the 2022 season after suffering an avulsion fracture of the right knee cap.

Connor Hughes of SNY provided more background on Brown's decision:

The 36-year-old Brown is a five-time Pro Bowler and one-time first-team All-Pro who has played for the Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks during an NFL career that began in 2008.

The Jets were set to play Becton, a former Louisville star who went No. 13 overall in the 2020 NFL draft, at right tackle with George Fant starting at left tackle.

Brown has only played left tackle during his career. The logical solution would be to put Brown at left tackle and slide over Fant, who has starting experience at right tackle.

After the Becton injury news and before the Brown signing, the Jets had a pair of right-tackle candidates in Max Mitchell, a rookie fourth-round draft pick out of Louisiana-Lafayette, and four-year NFL veteran Chuma Edoga.

Adding Brown certainly gives the Jets some much-needed stability at the line, which is imperative for the development and growth of second-year quarterback Zach Wilson. The promising Mitchell and the veteran Edoga give the line some good depth as well.

The Jets will open the season at home on Sunday, Sept. 11 against the Baltimore Ravens.

As concern mounts about the status of New York Jets right tackle Mekhi Becton, the Jets have expressed interest in signing veteran offensive tackle Duane Brown.

General manager Joe Douglas said Tuesday on WFAN's Boomer and Gio (h/t ESPN's Rich Cimini) that the "wheels are in motion" regarding a potential signing.

The Jets could be without Becton for a significant period after he suffered a knee injury in practice Monday. Coach Robert Saleh confirmed on WFAN that "it's not looking good" for the 2020 first-round pick.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported several teams have been in contact with Brown, but he has "mutual interest" with the Jets. The 36-year-old spent the previous four-and-a-half seasons with the Seattle Seahawks before hitting the open market in March.

Brown was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport last month and charged with possession of a concealed weapon after authorities found an unloaded gun in his luggage. Brown's agent, Kennard McGuire, said it was an accident.

"To err is human, and this clearly was an accident," McGuire told Josina Anderson of CBS Sports. "As a law-abiding citizen, Duane will continue to exercise proper judgment and continue education on gun safety measures."

The arrest and charge do not appear to have impacted teams' interest in Brown on the open market, and he may have found a perfect landing spot in New York. The Jets are desperate to keep second-year quarterback Zach Wilson upright and spent their offseason adding weapons around the former BYU star.

Becton's injury could be a major setback in their offensive outlook for the 2022 campaign, but Brown should be able to step in and provide an adequate replacement. While he's dealt with his own knee issues in recent seasons, Brown received a 71.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus last season. Though he allowed eight sacks, he committed just five penalties.

New York Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton is reportedly likely to miss the entire 2022 season after suffering an avulsion fracture in his right knee cap.

Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported the news, saying Becton will see a surgeon tomorrow. Connor Hughes of SNY reported Monday there was "legitimate fear" that Becton will miss the season.

After Becton went down on the second play of practice Monday, Jets head coach Robert Saleh told reporters the injury "doesn't seem like a big deal." Hughes reported Saleh was told by doctors that Becton did not suffer structural damage but that a later MRI "was worse than doctors feared."

The 11th pick in 2020, Becton has not been the franchise left tackle New York had hoped for. The 23-year-old has appeared in 15 games but completed only eight of them, per ESPN's Rich Cimini. Becton has also struggled with his weight.

The Jets moved Becton to right tackle during training camp, handing the left tackle job to veteran George Fant after he filled in admirably last season. New York's offensive line depth has been a point of concern this offseason, and this injury to Becton could make matters worse.

The Jets reportedly signed veteran offensive lineman Caleb Benenoch, who has appeared in 36 games with 23 starts in six years. New York also hosted five-time Pro Bowl tackle Duane Brown on Saturday during the team's Green and White scrimmage.

With Becton's injury, the price to sign the 36-year-old Brown likely went up.

New York Jets wide receiver Denzel Mims hasn't requested a trade and doesn't intend to do so, according to Connor Hughes of SNY, though the wideout's agent is meeting with the team Saturday.

That followed a report from the Pro Football Network's Tony Pauline, who said there is "a disconnect between the front office and coaching staff" on Mims' future with the Jets, with the former wanting him to be part of the offense and the latter having been down on him "since last summer."

And Brian Costello of the New York Post wrote Saturday that Mims "does not feel like part of the Jets' long-term plan. Yes, they could hold on to him as insurance for an injury. But trading him seems to be the best thing for both sides."

That partly comes down to the team having solid depth at the position. Corey Davis, Elijah Moore and Braxton Berrios are all returning, while the Jets used a first-round pick to add Ohio State star Garrett Wilson.

It's possible that Mims could be the team's fifth option at the position, though his own aspirations are greater than that heading into the 2022 season.

"I see myself on top," he told reporters. "I feel like I've put in enough work to be there. That's a coach's decision. But I'm going to continue to work my tail off and do everything I can."

"Starting receiver. That's the goal," he added. "I'll do anything and everything I can."

Mims, 24, has failed to make a major impact for the Jets since being a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, catching 31 passes for 490 yards in 20 overall games (11 starts). It hasn't been the sort of production the team was hoping for out of the former Baylor product.

One good sign this summer, however, is that head coach Robert Saleh has offered a positive review of Mims.

"We're happy with the approach he's taken this offseason, the way he attacked OTAs, the way he's come into training camp, where he is mentally, the coaching that he's accepting," he told reporters. "He doesn't make excuses, he's grinding. He's approaching it like a professional."

But Mims may still have an uphill battle to significant playing time in New York. He may not request a trade, but it's possible it will still be the best outcome for both the young receiver and the team.

Five-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Duane Brown will reportedly visit with the New York Jets on Saturday.

According to ESPN's Rich Cimini, Brown will also attend the Jets' Green & White scrimmage on Saturday night.

The 36-year-old Brown is a free agent after splitting 14 NFL seasons between the Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks. The one-time first-team All-Pro started all 17 games for Seattle last season and was named to the Pro Bowl.

Houston selected Brown with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft out of Virginia Tech.

Brown was with the Texans for 10 seasons, starting all 133 games he appeared in. He was named a Pro Bowler in three straight seasons from 2012 to 2014 and earned his only first-team All-Pro selection in 2012.

Entering the 2017 season, Brown held out for a new contract. He ultimately reported to the team in October and appeared in one game before Houston traded him and a 2018 fifth-round pick to the Seahawks for a 2019 second-round pick and 2018 third-round pick.

In five seasons in Seattle, Brown started all 70 games he appeared in and didn't miss a game in four of those campaigns.

The 6'4", 315-pound lineman proved last season that he can still be an asset, which is likely why the Jets are expressing interest in him as the 2022 regular season draws near.

George Fant and Mekhi Becton are penciled in as the Jets' starters at left tackle and right tackle, respectively, while 2019 third-round pick Chuma Edoga and 2022 fourth-round pick Max Mitchell are the primary backups.

While the mountainous Becton hasn't quite lived up to expectations and has been ravaged by injuries during his young career, it stands to reason that head coach Robert Saleh will give him every opportunity to start in 2022 due to his status as the No. 11 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

Meanwhile, the 30-year-old Fant has played five seasons in the NFL with the Seahawks and Jets, appearing in 75 games and starting 53 of them, including starting all 29 games he played in for the Jets the past two seasons.

Fant has never performed close to a Pro Bowl level, however, meaning Brown could be viewed as an upgrade protecting the blindside of second-year quarterback Zach Wilson.

In an effort to raise awareness for relief efforts, the New York Jets will wear Ukrainian flag decals on their helmets for their Week 3 home game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 25.

According to NFL.com's Judy Battista, the Jets will also paint a Ukrainian flag in each end zone at their home venue of MetLife Stadium for the Week 3 contest.

In addition to bringing attention to relief efforts, the Jets are donating $1 million toward them, with $100,000 being given to 10 different organizations that are lending a helping hand in Ukraine.

Ukraine has been embroiled in conflict since February, which is when neighboring Russia first invaded the country.

The invasion of Ukraine hits especially close to home for the Jets since Suzanne Johnson, the wife of Jets owner Woody Johnson, is the daughter of a Ukrainian immigrant.

Per Battista, Johnson's father was a Ukrainian immigrant and her mother was a first-generation Ukrainian American, and they lived in the Ukrainian portion of New York's Greenwich Village.

Regarding the decision to display the Ukrainian flag in prominent places during the Sept. 25 game against Cincinnati, Johnson said:

"We have to keep awareness up. We're not doing anything political. We're only focusing on the humanitarian, doing as much to help them until they can go back to their country, to donate as much as we can and by our donating, put it up on our website. It's all we can do."

The Jets are coming off a 4-13 season and have missed the playoffs in each of the past 11 years, but there is optimism surrounding the team in 2022.

New York selected potential instant-impact players such as wide receiver Garrett Wilson, running back Breece Hall, cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive end Jermaine Johnson in the NFL draft.

Also, 2022 will mark the second season of both quarterback Zach Wilson and head coach Robert Saleh at the helm, meaning improvement is expected.

The Week 3 game promises to be a good test for the Jets, since the Bengals made it all the way to the Super Bowl last season.

If New York Jets fans are looking for reasons to be optimistic about Zach Wilson in 2022, all they need to do is ask former Pro Bowl wide receiver Chad Johnson.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated's Craig Ellenport, Johnson said Wilson "has the ‘it’ factor" and is "very Patrick Mahomes-ish" with the way he moves and his throwing mechanics.

"Zach Wilson is gonna flourish; he’s gonna flourish in New York," Johnson added. "It’s all about (Jets head coach Robert) Saleh … getting the right pieces around him. He and Elijah Moore, this year, they gonna create magic."

There has been a lot of hype around the Jets because of what they did during the offseason. They signed several free agents, including Laken Tomlinson, D.J. Reed, C.J. Uzomah and Jordan Whitehead.

Mike Tanier of Football Outsiders gave the Jets an A+ grade for use of resources and an A grade for improving their roster in his free-agency roundup.

"The additions give Mike LaFleur's offense an identity and Zach Wilson better scaffolding," Tanier wrote. "The retentions are an encouraging sign that Robert Saleh liked some of the things he saw in 2021 and that the Jets aren't falling into the change-for-change's-sake trap."

Following a strong free-agent period, the Jets drafted Ahmad Gardner, Garrett Wilson, Jermaine Johnson II and Breece Hall with their top four picks.

As impressive as the Jets roster looks on paper, their ceiling in 2022 will come down to how their second-year quarterback plays.

Wilson's first exposure to the NFL didn't go well. He was the league's worst starting quarterback by expected points added and overall, per Kevin Cole of Pro Football Focus.

The 23-year-old threw for 2,334 yards, nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions with a 55.6 completion percentage in 13 starts as a rookie in 2021.

Comparing any quarterback to Mahomes is a dangerous proposition because the ways he is successful are virtually impossible to replicate. But the fact that Johnson can at least find some similarities between Wilson's playing style and the Kansas City Chiefs star is a positive sign that he will at least be better in 2022.

New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh told reporters at training camp Wednesday that he believes backup quarterback Joe Flacco can still start in the NFL.

"He could start in this league. I believe that," Saleh said after a reporter asked him about having an experienced backup quarterback behind second-year pro Zach Wilson.

"Sometimes, this league has a tendency to pigeonhole people or put labels on people, and their opportunities kind of get limited. But Joe Flacco is a starting quarterback in this league. He's really, really talented."

Flacco enjoyed tremendous team success when he started for the Baltimore Ravens from 2008 to 2018. Baltimore made the playoffs seven times during that span and won Super Bowl XLVII in February 2013. That capped a four-game playoff stretch in which Flacco threw 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions.

The former Delaware star never made a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team, but he got the job done and performed especially well in the playoffs.

During the 2018 season, the Ravens changed their QB1 to rookie Lamar Jackson. Flacco went on to become the Denver Broncos' starter in 2019, but his tenure lasted just eight games. He's now served as a backup quarterback for the Jets for three seasons.

Flacco did fare quite well in his last start, completing 24 of 39 passes for 291 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins on November 21, 2021.

The 37-year-old's full-time starting days may be behind him at this juncture, but there's no question he's one of the game's top backups. It's commonplace to see teams' offenses fall off a cliff if a backup quarterback takes over an offense, but Flacco is more than capable of steering the ship if he needs to moonlight for Wilson.

Flacco will see some old friends in Week 1 on Sept. 11 when his old team, the Ravens, visits the Jets at MetLife Stadium to open the season.

Zach Wilson is tuning out distractions as he prepares for his second season in the NFL.

The New York Jets quarterback told reporters Tuesday that he deleted social media from his phone when training camp began.

"For me, it just comes down to limiting what voices I really need to hear and, right now, it's here, hearing what my coaches have to say, what the other quarterbacks have to say, and what my teammates are thinking on every single play," he said. "Even parents sometimes can be a distraction."

Perhaps distractions were an issue for the No. 2 overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft during his rookie season.

After all, Wilson struggled while completing just 55.6 percent of his passes with nine touchdown throws to 11 interceptions. He also led the league with 370 sack yards lost, per Football Reference, and will be under the microscope for a Jets team that is expected to improve on a 4-13 finish after a solid offseason.

New York signed offensive lineman Laken Tomlinson, tight ends C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin, and cornerback D.J. Reed, among others. It also impressed in the draft by adding Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, Jermaine Johnson and Breece Hall.

If Wilson can block out those distractions and make a leap in his second season with so much talent around him, the Jets could be much more of a factor in the AFC East than they were last year.

Despite recognizing its positives, New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh has some concerns about the use of the Guardian Cap on helmets during training camp.

According to ESPN's Rich Cimini, Saleh suggested that he believes players have been more inclined to lead with their helmets because of the added protection provided by the Guardian Cap:

"I think the spirit of it all is really good. It's got great benefits ... but I do think there's a balance in everything, right? Too much of anything is a bad thing.

"I do think because of the soft blow, it's kind of lending the players to use their heads a little bit more. I do think the first time when they take it off -- anybody who has played football knows the first time you take your helmet off or you hit with the helmet or you have a collision, there's a shock. I do think that if you're waiting until the first game for that shock to happen ... I don't know, time will tell. It's just interesting with those Guardian Caps and what exactly are we trying to accomplish."

Saleh also mentioned the "acclimation period" that comes with getting hit while wearing a helmet and pads and openly wondered if the use of Guardian Caps during training camp will make it tougher for players to adjust to getting hit without Guardian Caps during preseason games.

The Guardian Cap is a soft outer shell placed over the helmet to soften blows to the head and lessen the frequency of concussions.

Per Cimini, offensive linemen, defensive linemen, tight ends and linebackers are required to wear the Guardian Cap in practice until the start of the third week of the preseason schedule.

Saleh is preparing to enter his second season as head coach of the Jets after spending the previous four campaigns as the San Francisco 49ers' defensive coordinator.

His first season in New York didn't yield the best of results, as the Jets went just 4-13 and missed the playoffs for the 11th consecutive season.

While the Jets aren't expected to end that drought in 2022, they are a trendy pick to improve significantly due to some of the highly regarded moves they made in free agency and the draft.

Saleh will look to get his team's preparation off to a good start Aug. 12 when the Jets face the Philadelphia Eagles in their first preseason game, but he will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on how his players react to shedding the Guardian Cap.