Mekhi Becton was the biggest signing the LA Chargers made in an offseason where they have the second-most cap space in the NFL, which makes it even worse that he's been awful this season for the Bolts.
Becton was the only interior offensive line addition the Chargers made this offseason and he hasn't been worth the price. The 2020 first-round draft pick has been worse at right guard than Trey Pipkins was last year, leaving many fans to assume that Becton's time in LA won't last longer than one year.
One would think that if there was any game Becton would show up for it would be against the team he won a Super Bowl with last season, the Philadelphia Eagles. That wasn't the case at all on Monday night. Becton put together his worst game of the season, earning a Pro Football Focus pass blocking grade that is so low it seems fake.
Yes, you read that right. And no, it's not a typo. Becton posted a 13.1 pass-blocking grade for his efforts on Monday Night Football. We didn't even know PFF graded that low.
Mekhi Becton's stinker vs. Eagles may be the final straw for the Chargers
Becton was a big reason for the Eagles' success in 2024 and he was more impactful for their chances of winning than the Chargers on Monday. According to PFF's data tracking, Becton allowed eight quarterback pressures in the game, one of which resulted in a sack.
It's the most pressures Becton has allowed in a single game this season. His pass block efficiency rating of 89.0 was also his worst of the season. It's rare for that number to ever come in lower than 90, highlighting just how bad Becton was.
Unfortunately, this was simply more of the same for the Chargers. Becton is now up to 29 pressures allowed on the season, which is only four fewer than he had in 226 more pass-blocking snaps last season with the Eagles.
Becton's 42.0 season pass-blocking grade ranks 53rd among 58 guards with at least 300 snaps. He's allowed the fifth-most pressures for a guard this season with the top four all having at least 450 pass-blocking snaps compared to Becton's 344. His pass efficiency is the second-worst among all guards.
It's been a bad season through and through for Becton, who hit his rock bottom in primetime against his former team. One can only hope that Becton will turn this performance into motivation to save his season before it's too late.
But based on how he's looked thus far this season, it's hard to imagine that being the case. Monday night may end up being the lowpoint of his season (hopefully), but it also may end up being the night the Chargers made their mind up on Becton's future.
The Chargers can get out of Becton's deal this spring. Cutting him creates $10 million in cap space with only $2.5 million in dead cap. The decision was already trending that way, and Monday's stinker may have just cemented it.
Becton's run with the Eagles was great and who knows, maybe he reunites with Philly down the line. But just 10 months after winning a Super Bowl together, the Eagles just buried Becton's tenure with the team he left for in free agency.