The Eagles were still in the third quarter a couple weeks ago when Mekhi Becton told his O-line teammates that tears were coming.
“Bro, I’m gonna cry,” Becton said.
And he did.
As the Eagles marched to a 41-7 win over the Cowboys, they clinched the NFC East with a week left to go in the regular season. For many Eagles, this level of success is nothing new.
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For Becton? This isn’t just the first division title in his five-year career. This is his first trip to the playoffs. Heck, his first winning season.
“That meant a lot, man,” Becton said. “Just going through the trials and tribulations that I have gone through in my life and my career. I overcame a lot of things that people don’t know about but they think they know about. I overcame that and it was pretty dope.”
In a moment that was caught on camera, Becton’s teammates Jordan Mailata and Landon Dickerson were there for the big right guard as he became emotional on the sideline against the Cowboys.
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An emotional moment for Mekhi after making his first playoffs 🥹@BigTicket73 | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/TUFrBgBSUR
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 4, 2025
As the Eagles prepare to face the Packers in the wild card round, the 25-year-old Becton said he was really appreciative of the support his teammates gave him in that moment.
“It was just dope to hear those two guys just hype me up and love me up,” Becton said. “It’s really dope.”
After that win over the Cowboys, Mailata explained that the division title meant different things to different players in the locker room. Mailata was here in 2022 for the playoff run that ended in Super Bowl LVII. But he understood that this was all new to Becton, who came to Philly after four years with the Jets — four years without seeing a single playoff game.
Mailata understood what the NFC East title meant to Becton.
“You have to let them go through those emotions,” Mailata said in the locker room after the win over the Cowboys. “You just have to be present with them. Mekhi was really emotional. Obviously, you guys know Mekhi’s story so that was pretty special for us to be able to share that moment with him. But you just have to let him feel it out. Just let him cry, let him be happy, whatever it is.
“You just have to be there for him and then you have to remind him, ‘Let’s enjoy this moment but we’ve got more to go for next week.’ It’s a pretty great feeling in this locker room.”
Even after that game, Becton was visibly emotional as he left the field to get his division champion hat and t-shirt. During Becton’s four years in New York, the Jets finished last, last, last and second-to-last in the AFC East. Their best finish in Becton’s four years there was 7-10; the Eagles had seven wins this season by Nov. 10.
How long did Becton’s emotions flow after the win over the Cowboys?
“Ahh s—,” Becton said. “It lasted all the way until I got into the locker room, hugged a few guys and I wiped my tears and was like, ‘That is what it is. I want something bigger.’”
The Eagles signed Becton after the draft on April 29. The initial plan was for the former first-round pick to be a backup swing tackle but offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland gave Becton a chance at guard in training camp and that experiment has worked. Becton played at a high level as the Eagles’ starting right guard all season.
Earlier this season, Becton spoke at length about how this year in Philadelphia helped him rediscover his love for football. He said he hasn’t had this much fun since his junior year in college.
When Becton signed in late April, he wasn’t thinking about going to a team with a chance to make a deep playoff run. He was just trying to get to a place where he could be coached up by one of the best. Now, he ended up with both.
And he’s excited for his first playoff appearance.
“I’m ready to go,” Becton said. “I’m ready to play.”
Becton’s most experienced teammate on the offensive line, Lane Johnson, has played in 12 career playoff games and half of them have come at Lincoln Financial Field. These days, Johnson gets excited for the first-timers.
“Yeah, I’m excited for a lot of these new guys,” Johnson said. “There’s nothing like it. They’ll see the energy, the stadium and I think they’ll be pretty shocked how loud it gets.”
Becton said he’s ready for the crowd at the Linc to be “crazy” on Sunday.
The two most experienced Eagles who will make their playoff debuts on Sunday are Becton and his former Jets teammate Bryce Huff, who also entered the NFL in 2020.
“A lot of people don’t get to experience the second season in the NFL,” Becton said. “I’m grateful I get to experience it and I don’t want to take it for granted.”
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