Signing Mekhi Becton to a two-year, $20 million contract was the only move the LA Chargers made to upgrade the offensive line in the spring. With Rashawn Slater out for the year with a torn patellar tendon, there is probably some regret from the Bolts that they didn't do more.
Adding more stress to the Chargers' offensive line situation was Becton's status during training camp. The former Philadelphia Eagle missed multiple weeks of training camp before finally returning leading into the last preseason game of the year. As it stands right now, Becton should be good to go in Week 1.
Becton finally explained his absence while speaking to reporters on Thursday and a comment that was meant to make fans feel better might have made them feel worse. The 2020 first-round pick said that it wasn't a new injury that kept him sidelined, and instead was a lingering knee injury that has impacted him throughout his career.
Mekhi Becton said he was dealing with "nagging" knee issues when he missed three weeks of training camp.
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) August 28, 2025
"Just old stuff I've dealing with my whole career," Becton added. "It's nothing crazy."
Mekhi Becton's injury explanation somehow makes Chargers fans feel worse
On one hand, it's probably a good thing that Becton didn't suffer a new injury in his first training camp with the Chargers. That would have been a classic example of bad luck that Chargers fans know all too well.
Then again, the idea that a lingering injury was bad enough to keep Becton out of practice for multiple weeks is concerning for Chargers fans. Lingering injuries and the Chargers haven't really gone well together throughout the years.
Granted, the Chargers had no reason to rush Becton into practice and risk further injury. If we were toward the end of the season, Becton almost certainly would have been practicing and playing through the discomfort.
But the fact that it is flaring up in August when Becton should be his healthiest is potentially a bad sign for him as the grind of the 2025 season gets underway. Becton is coming off the longest season of his career, having won the Super Bowl, and that may impact the Chargers in 2025.
Injuries have been Becton's Achilles' heel, even though they aren't impacting his calf. He missed several weeks his rookie season as he dealt with cartilage issues in his knee. In his sophomore year, he was placed on IR with an avulsion fracture in his knee.
Those issues have followed him to Los Angeles and time will tell how much they impact his 2025 campaign. Hopefully, for the Chargers' sake, the impact is minimal.