It's one thing to be a draft bust; it's another thing to be a free-agent bust when you're the biggest signing of the offseason for a team that had the second-most cap space in the NFL. That's the situation Mekhi Becton finds himself in with the LA Chargers.
Becton, who signed a two-year, $20 million contract this offseason, has been wholly inconsistent for the Bolts. He's already back to his New York Jets form and can hardly stay on the field. When he isn't dealing with an ailment, he's producing at a level near the bottom of the NFL guard totem pole.
Becton isn't J.C. Jackson levels of bad, but it's still not great when he is the only addition the Chargers made to the offensive line this offseason. Fans haven't been happy with Becton, and it's safe to say the coaching staff isn't either. When asked to evaluate Becton's season to this point, Harbaugh completely danced around the question in the most coach-speak way possible.
Jim Harbaugh when asked to assess Mekhi Becton's season: "Not going to do that. Not going to break my own rule of going through and breaking down specific plays or a specific player's game or play, let alone a season."
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) November 18, 2025
Those who know Harbaugh know that this him dancing around the question is as damning as it gets for Becton. Harbaugh didn't outright say it, but his lack of praise is worth a million words alone.
Jim Harbaugh seems to be just as disappointed in Mekhi Becton as Chargers fans
As Daniel Popper alluded to in another social media post, Harbaugh hasn't been shy at all throughout his two years in praising players. He's broken his own "rule" many times, and does so on a weekly basis.
Heck, he calls Justin Herbert a beast almost every week. By Harbaugh's own "rule", he shouldn't be commenting on Herbert's individual performance on a granular level like this.
This isn't a real rule from Harbaugh. This is an excuse to not say the quiet part out loud about Becton. He simply hasn't been good, and hasn't provided the Chargers what they thought they were getting when they signed him in the first place. Becton's struggles have only compounded the laundry list of Chargers' offensive line issues.
Does Harbaugh feel burned by the signing? Perhaps. But the team has no other choice but to keep throwing Becton out and hope something sticks. Los Angeles is far too desperate to bench Becton, as there is no going back from a decision of that magnitude.
It's hard to be confident in Becton turning it around, though. He's firmly re-attached the injury-prone label to his name, and this time, he can't back up his inconsistent durability with strong play. Becton's 40.6 PFF grade ranks 76th among 79 guards this season. His 96.2 pass-block efficiency rating ranks 50th among 55 guards with at least 250 pass-blocking snaps.
It's been pitiful. Chargers fans have already given up on Becton, and it wouldn't be surprising if Harbaugh has too.