With the expectation that tackle Mekhi Becton is lost for the season with a fractured right kneecap, the New York Jets looked for some external help along the offensive line, signing veteran tackle Duane Brown.
Brown started all 17 games for the Seattle Seahawks last season.
Becton went down with a right knee injury at practice earlier this week, and while the Jets were hopeful that the young tackle avoided a serious injury, further testing uncovered the right kneecap fracture.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who broke the news on Thursday, the Jets signed Brown to a two-year deal:
Jets are giving OT Duane Brown a two-year deal, per source. https://t.co/wrZ80jppmy
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 11, 2022
Brown came into the league in 2008, when the Houston Texans drafted him in the first round of the 2008 NFL draft. He started all 16 games as a rookie, and spent ten full seasons in Houston. He was traded to the Seahawks midway through the 2017 campaign, and spent the past five seasons in the NFC West. He became a free agent following this past season.
Brown visited with the Jets as a free agent last weekend, giving the franchise a look at the veteran tackle. It seems they saw enough in the wake of the Becton injury to offer him a two-year deal.