Thursday’s game against the New England Patriots proved to be a difficult New York Jets debut for wide receiver Adonai Mitchell in Foxborough.
Acquired from Indianapolis at last week’s trade deadline, the former Texas star showed the speed that made him a second-round pick and the questionable hands that led the Colts to give up on him in just his second season.
‘Well Adonai Mitchell doesn’t have issues getting open at least,’ The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt joked on X.
The comment came after Mitchell managed to haul in just one of five passes from Jets quarterback Justin Fields.
And while a few of the throws were inaccurate, Mitchell still dropped the ball when Fields was on the money.
‘QB Justin Fields dropped that pass into a BUCKET, but newly-acquired WR Adonai Mitchell couldn’t haul it in,’ NFL.com’s Arye Pulli wrote on X alongside a clip of Mitchell whiffing on a Fields pass.
Mitchell watches as another passes falls just out of his grasp on Thursday in Foxborough
Jets receiver Adonai Mitchell speaks to reporters after being acquired from Indianapolis
Not all the comments were negative. Several recognized Mitchell’s obvious athleticism and potential.
‘Adonai Mitchell is so close dude,’ one fan remarked.
But many others were resigned to dismissing Mitchell after he beat All-Pro Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez only to let the Fields pass fall to the turf.
As one critic remarked: ‘Adonai Mitchell’s career in one play: beat the elite CB on the route, still doesn’t convert.’
These struggles are not new for Mitchell, who began his rookie season as a starter in Indianapolis only to get benched after failing to catch 17 of the first 27 passes thrown his way.
His 2025 season wasn’t going any better and so last week, in the Colts’ attempt to shore up its secondary for a playoff run, they sent Mitchell and two first-round picks to New York for former All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner.
Mitchell is getting another chance in New York now, but that isn’t getting off to the best start.
As one fan wrote on X: ‘I can see why the Colts gave up on Adonai Mitchell so early.’
