Duane Brown's Status Could Mean More Changes for Jets' Offensive Line

Duane Brown is eligible to return to the New York Jets' active roster this week, but the team has yet to announce its plans for the veteran offensive tackle.

The 38-year-old Brown began the regular season as the starting left tackle, but a hip problem popped up after the second game. Following a doctor visit, the blindside protector landed on Injured Reserve prior to the Jets' Week 3 contest against New England.

Brown's four-week minimum required stay on IR has passed although Gang Green is not obligated to immediately activate the veteran bookend.

"We’re going to use today and tomorrow to see where everyone’s at, and I’ll have a better update for you guys on Wednesday, same thing with Duane Brown," said third-year head coach Saleh on Monday.

Brown's eventual availability will increase the number of possible offensive line combinations the Jets can employ, but it also has the potential to upset the current situation at left tackle. 

Mekhi Becton spent the first half of the 2023 preseason taking second-string left tackle reps. With Brown, who began the summer on the physically unable to perform list, due back in time for Week 1, the Jets asked Becton to vacate his natural left tackle position and flip over to the right side as the starter. 

With Brown going to IR two games into the regular season, Becton switched back to the blindside while Alijah Vera-Tucker kicked out from guard to right tackle. Vera-Tucker has since suffered a season-ending Achilles injury and second-year pro Max Mitchell has taken over the starting RT reps.

Brown, a 17th-year pro, has played left tackle for almost his entire NFL career, but sliding him back into that spot would displace Becton, who would presumably be asked to flip back over to the right side.

"We’ll see. We have to see where he [Brown] is health wise to see if we can even get him up this week to begin with," said Saleh about the potential of Brown returning to the left tackle spot.

It doesn't sound as if the head coach will hesitate to force Becton into another position change if it allows for the Jets to put their "best" offensive line configuration onto the field.

"It won’t be difficult. We’ll always do what’s best for the organization first with the whole mindset to play our best five," said Saleh on Monday.

Meanwhile, Becton has been rock solid in his first regular season game action following a two-year absence. The 6-foot-7 bookend has started all six games, participating in all but a handful of snaps.

"Sometimes you got to take a step back and put ego aside and just do what's best for the team," said Becton at the end of the preseason. "That's my main thing right now, just doing what's best for the team. I want to be on that field with my teammates."

In the most-recent game, a Week 6 win over Philadelphia, the Jets' starting offensive line was configured as follows (from left to right): left tackle Mekhi Becton, left guard Laken Tomlinson, center Connor McGovern, right guard Joe Tippmann, right tackle Max Mitchell. When Tippmann left due to injury, veteran Wes Schweitzer took over at right guard.