#Jets exercise caution with Mekhi Becton’s mysterious chest injury

There is some uncertainty about what exactly is wrong with Jets rookie left tackle Mekhi Becton after he left Monday night’s game in the first quarter with what was called a chest injury.

Jets coach Adam Gase said Becton was having trouble breathing after the chest injury and the Jets doctors and trainers were unsure why. They ran him through a battery of tests before ruling him out.

“We went through all kinds of things to make sure he was good,” Gase said. “At the end of the day, we decided not to put him back in the game, just making sure that he was OK. We were concerned that maybe there was something there that we couldn’t figure out. We just wanted to make sure our trainers and doctors did everything they could to rule out any issues there.”

Gase said Becton does not have a muscle injury. He also said he was not told the doctors believe there is any lung or heart issue causing it.

“I think they’re just going to keep talking to him and go through all the exact symptoms and why he felt certain ways at certain times,” Gase said. “It’s hard for me to explain because I’m not a doctor. I just know that he couldn’t play. They’re trying to put him in position to where he can play the next game.”

The only other notable injury from the game was cornerback Brian Poole leaving with a knee injury, but Gase said there is no structural damage and was hopeful Poole can play against the Chargers on Nov. 22.

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QB Sam Darnold, who missed Monday’s game with a shoulder injury, said it is a “day-to-day process” for him right now in trying to get back for the Jets’ next game in 1 ½ weeks. Darnold said his shoulder acted up last week when he tried to practice after taking a big hit in the loss to the Chiefs a few days prior.

“It just didn’t feel right during the week of practice,” Darnold said. “We knew that giving it a week or two would definitely be the best decision to make. It was a hard decision, but I went with my gut on it. I think this next week and a half, two weeks is going to be key to letting this thing recover and healing all the way so I can finish out the season strong.”

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Greg Van Roten, the Jets’ NFLPA player representative, addressed reports that Jets players complained to the union about hidden cameras in their locker room. Van Roten clarified that the players know the security cameras are there and the team was upfront about that. The issue is the players are concerned about the NFL using the cameras to check who is wearing masks under COVID-19 protocols and whether teams have the right to put cameras in without collectively bargaining first with the players.

“Talking to guys on the team, no one really cares that there are cameras in there,” Van Roten said. “We know why they’re there. They’re there to protect us if something happens, if something goes missing and all that. … We get why they’re there.”

Van Roten said this is not an issue unique to the Jets and that many teams have cameras in or near their locker rooms. The cameras are not monitored and are the footage is only viewed by team security if there is an issue in the locker room like stolen property or a non-credentialed individual getting in.

“There’s no trust issue. The cameras are there for us,” Van Roten said. “It’s not like they’re spying on us.”