Philadelphia Eagles right guard Mekhi Becton said Wednesday that he tore a ligament in his left ring finger in last week’s victory over the New Orleans Saints but will wear a cast and be able to play this Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Becton was listed as a limited participant at Wednesday’s practice, which is an estimation because it was a walkthrough.
Also limited was guard Landon Dickerson (wrist), while three standout starters did not participate in right tackle Lane Johnson (concussion) and wide receivers A.J. Brown (hamstring) and DeVonta Smith (concussion).
Becton, 25, started the first three games for the Eagles, who signed him as a free agent on April 28 to a one-year contract worth $2.75 million.
The New York Jets made Becton the 11th overall selection of the 2020 NFL Draft, and the Louisville product started 13 of his 14 games as a rookie. However, a knee injury in Week 1 ended the left tackle’s second season, and Becton moved to right tackle, only to miss all of the 2022 season because of another knee injury.
The 6-foot-7, 363-pound lineman started all 16 games he played in 2023, playing 95 percent of the offensive snaps. The Jets did not pick up the fifth-year option on Becton.
Johnson, 34, is a five-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time first-team All-Pro. He played just 18 snaps in the 15-12 win over the host Saints.
Brown, 27, has missed the past two games due to the hamstring injury. The three-time Pro Bowler made five catches for 119 yards and a touchdown in Philadelphia’s 34-29 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 6 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Smith, 25, has 21 catches for 239 yards and one touchdown in starting all three games. He sustained a concussion via a vicious hit from Saints defensive tackle Khristian Boyd.
Smith caught a short pass and his forward progress was stopped. He was being driven backward by two players before Boyd came from behind and blindsided Smith with a helmet-to-helmet hit with 13:45 remaining in the game.
The Eagles (2-1) visit the Buccaneers (2-1) on Sunday afternoon.
–Field Level Media
