Knee hurts/pops - help

Hi all. I don’t have insurance right now to get it checked out. Waiting for the payment to clear to extend Cobra.

My knee hurts a bit when I bend the knee sometimes. It’ll also pop frequently. The pain kind runs more behind my knee cap and sometimes shoots along my calf. I can walk pretty well and put weight on it. There’s no swelling, and when I touch around there’s no sharp pain in any spot. However it’s been feeling this way for a week now. Every morning I wake up, it gets super stiff and the pain level stays the same. Was hoping it’ll feel a bit better each day. Today it’s still there but lots of tightness around the glute and groin to side of knee hurting.  It’s not until I let my knee pop a few time from stretches that it starts to feel loser and less pain.

Anyone experience this before or may know what it is?

My left knee pop frequently especially when I bend my knee back and forth. I currently have a sprain MCL on both knees and doing PT once a week to strengthen my knees. I felt the same pain in the beginning before I got an MRI and PT.Shooting pains around my knees, hamstrings, thighs, hip, calf, and ankles. I started PT to strengthen my knees which I recommend. YouTube/Search some excercises if you cant see your Doctor. Definitely do RICE, strengthen your knees and see your Dr when possible.
I'm going on 3 months PT and I still feel twinges, pains around my knees and ankles, but trying to be patient.