After the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX and the green and white confetti had rained down on the field, offensive lineman Mekhi Becton took a seat on the Superdome turf in New Orleans and began to cry.
With his young son, Mekhi Jr., in his lap wearing a gray Super Bowl champion hat and a black shirt with his father's No. 77 emblazoned on it, Becton stared upward, his mouth agape, and shook his head in disbelief as tears poured out of his eyes.
"Just everything. Everything I've been through," Becton later said, on what he was thinking and feeling in that moment. "Not even in my football career, just in my life. It all just finally hit at that one time. I had my son in my arms, and that's when it hit."
For some of his teammates, feel-good moments have become somewhat commonplace. Philadelphia has averaged over 10 wins per season since 2017 and appeared in three Super Bowls during that time, winning two. There have been some dips here and there, but the culture has generally been strong and the locker room considered inclusive.
But for Becton, this last year with the Eagles stood in sharp contrast to his experience over his first four years as a pro. His time with the New York Jets, after being selected with the 11th overall pick in 2020 out of Louisville, was filled with major injuries, disappointment and criticism, and discord between organization and player, with neither matching the other's needs and expectations.
At one point, Becton's weight climbed to around 400 pounds as he grew disenchanted with the sport.
"You can almost say I lost love of the game in a way because I was just in a bad place," Becton said. "But [the Eagles] definitely brought my love for the game back, for sure."
Thanks in part to the championing of offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, Becton was signed to a one-year, $2.75 million contract in free agency last March. In the ensuing months, Becton made the switch from tackle to guard, won a starting job, and starred for an offensive line that helped Saquon Barkley become the all-time single season rushing leader, including playoffs. In the process, Becton has created value for himself as he approaches free agency again, with negotiating window opening March 10.
This past year has been transformative for Becton, who feels he's "definitely a different player" than the one who walked into the Eagles complex last March, in need of a place that accepted and nurtured him.
"This is the best change of pace that he could have. Just mentally, he's in a better place and that's a tribute to Stout and the guys that are here and the way they embraced him and took him under their wing," said Eagles tight end C.J. Uzomah, who was teammates with Becton on the Jets as well.
"He's really come out of his shell. He's come into his own and you can see that: he's showing emotion. He has a personality that you didn't really see too much in New York. It's night and day. It's a complete 180 [from the] Mekhi that I saw personality-wise, from Florham Park to here."
BECTON'S TURNAROUND BEGAN during the 2023 offseason.
A pair of significant injuries to his right knee limited him to one game over the previous two seasons. He was labeled a "bust" on social media. As he dealt with the setbacks and criticism, Becton spent some time at a mental health facility in New Jersey at the urging of friend and former Jets teammate Cameron Clark.
It was following major knee surgery in 2022 that Becton grew to roughly 400 pounds -- nearly 40 pounds above his pre-draft weight.
In the meantime, Becton was looking to change agents and Clark recommended his rep, Alan Herman, who agreed to take Becton on under the condition that he work with trainer Rich Sadiv to get back to the point of being a viable NFL player.
"He was very deconditioned. I'd be putting that mildly," Sadiv said. "If I remember, the first weigh-in he came in at like 394. And I know Alan wanted him more in the 340 range, maybe highest 350. But he was really motivated. He seemed like he had a lot to prove and he wanted to prove it ... He was looking for structure and I provided that."
Sadiv conducted 90-minute sessions five times per week with Becton from March through July. It was sled work and short sprints, high reps with dumb bells and bar bells and walking backward on the treadmill to promote knee strength. Becton could barely get through the first couple sessions, Sadiv said, but started to show progress. The program featured weekly weigh-ins and the weight kept dropping. On the final one, before he left for training camp, Becton clocked in at 347 pounds.
Sadiv's training facility in Fairlawn, New Jersey, attracts all types, from 10-year-olds to college students to middle-aged men and women. The 6-foot-7 Becton stands out even among his peers in the locker room, so you can imagine what it was like in this setting. But Becton had a way of connecting with the other patrons, Sadiv said, showing a side that ran counter to some of the narratives developing around him throughout his time in New York.
"He was so pleasant around all the other people, and they started gravitating towards him," Sadiv said. "A lot of people to this day root for him from the facility. They might be Giants fans or Jets fans, but they root for the Eagles because of him, because he's that kind of person.
"I was very impressed by him when he left because...I was hearing a lot of negative things about him and I didn't find that to be the case at all. He's a gentle giant."
Becton formed an unlikely bond with Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, instituting a daily hug between the two, and went on to start 16 games at tackle for the Jets in 2023, with mixed results.
The pull toward Philadelphia was strong once free agency hit. Becton had a desire to work with Stoutland, known throughout the league as an elite offensive line coach capable of maximizing the talent of players. And Becton said he "fell in love" with the Eagles organization after taking a visit there.
Stoutland was an admirer of Becton, as well, and pushed for the Eagles to sign him.
"I liked how unusual he is in terms of his size, his foot and body quickness, the length of his arms," Stoutland said. "All these things, I know the value of that."
The Eagles boast two of the better tackles in the league in Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata, leaving Becton no path to a starting spot on the outside. But there was a vacancy at right guard.
A discussion between Stoutland and coach Nick Sirianni ended with Sirianni encouraging Stoutland to try Becton inside to see what happened. There was a time in Becton's career when he wouldn't even accept a switch from left tackle to right tackle, but in this case, he was all-in on the move to guard.
"He's helped me out a lot. Support goes a long way," Becton said of Stoutland. "If you support somebody and give them love, they'll do whatever they ask."
Becton beat out Tyler Steen for that right guard post and started 15 of 17 games during the regular season and four more games in the playoffs, delivering a number of highlight blocks along the way for an offensive front that prided itself on physical dominance.
Mekhi Becton clearing ALL the space with this block 💪 pic.twitter.com/OYYLrwXcaC
— NFL (@NFL) January 19, 2025
"He's been so fun to play with. One of my favorite teammates," center Cam Jurgens said. "We love playing football and we love moving people together. It's fun playing next to him. I kind of feel a little small sometimes."
BECTON ISN'T ONE for the limelight but it has been hard to escape since the Eagles routed the Chiefs 40-22 in the Super Bowl.
He even made an appearance on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon alongside Jalen Hurts, Barkley and his fellow offensive linemen, shyly taking part in a promotional skit and then chugging beers with Fallon and his teammates while decked out in plaid green overalls.
"I just want to be in my house, left alone and to myself," Becton said with a smile. "It's been fun, though. It's a blessing."
Becton said he's open to what position he plays next season, but if there is an opportunity to play guard, he suggested that's his preference. "It's easier," he joked.
As far as the destination, that's to be determined. He indicated the chance to once again work with Stoutland could factor into his thinking as he weighs his options. The Eagles have a little north of $20 million in cap room. Philadelphia has given big money to offensive linemen Mailata, Johnson and Landon Dickerson in recent years and will likely extend center Jurgens. It may not be feasible to invest significant resources into all five starting linemen, especially with 2023 third-round pick Steen showing promise in his limited playing time inside, but if Becton could be retained at a reasonable number, the calculus changes.
Given the rocky start to his career and how well things have gone for him in Philly, it would be no surprise if Becton leans toward a return, all things being equal.
After all, the keys to his resurgence were acceptance and fit.
"The [offensive line], s---, the whole team, they welcomed me as if I've been here for my whole career," he said earlier this season. "It's just made things easier to just have people that put their arm around you and say, 'Hey, come on. You got it. We're here with you. You don't have to do it alone. You don't have to go through anything alone.' That just makes things a whole lot easier on the field. You get to play free when you play like that."
"This is home for him," Uzomah added.
"He was crying after we won our division. And we hugged for a second and he was just like, 'I can't believe I'm here right now.' That's the kind of person he is: He wants to battle with his guys, he wants to be here, he wants to be present, he wants to feel like a family. And this is his family."