Joe McKnight says he gained 16 pounds this offseason eating McDonald’s

When Joe McKnight heads into Jets minicamp this summer, he will be looking to compete for significant playing time in the backfield. With LaDanian Tomlinson out of the picture, McKnight could become the primary backup to Shonne Greene if he impresses Tony Sparano and company. He’s hoping the 16 pounds he gained from eating fast food will help.

According to Manish Mehta of the NY Daily News, McKnight says he gained 16 pounds by eating “A lot of McDonald’s.” Does that mean it’s 16 pounds of muscle or fat?

“I was eating healthy, but the majority of time I was eating bad,” McKnight added. “I wasn’t eating all the right stuff … like Tim Tebow.”

Should we assume the Tebow comment was intended to distract people from the fast food diet? When the Jets starred on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” during the 2010 offseason, McKnight was shown on the show failing the team’s conditioning test. The last thing he needs in his life is Ronald McDonald. Hopefully the saturated fat from a Big Mac translates into solid, bruising muscle on the gridiron.