'confident' Adonai Mitchell Shows Signs Of Future Promise In Jets' Win Over Falcons

Adonai Mitchell, playing in his 28th career game and third since arriving in New York in a trade deadline deal, did something he had never done before on Sunday in the Jets’ 27-24 win over the Atlanta Falcons: scored an NFL touchdown.  

“I was like, ‘Man, finally, dog,” Mitchell told SNY’s Jeane Coakley about getting into the end zone for the first time on a 52-yard bomb from Tyrod Taylor.

In the moments after the score, the receiver, a second-round pick by Indianapolis in 2023 in the deal that sent Sauce Gardner to the Colts, thought about the moments that led to breaking his long scoring drought.

“The ‘what ifs,’” Mitchell said. “I feel like ‘what if’ has been my whole career. What if this happened? What if this happened? What if he didn’t drop the ball?

“All I was really thinking about was, I finally finished. And it took two years to finish. So, just keep pressing the gas.” 

Head coach Aaron Glenn hinted that the change of scenery may have helped, but the skills and mindset to succeed were always there. 

"He’s always known that he can play, he’s always known that. He’s had some issues within his career, as far as playing,” the head coach said, alluding to a few on-field question marks that led to the Colts’ willingness to part with him. “But I don’t think he’s ever lost confidence in himself.  And I think once he got here, I think it just helped him with his confidence that he was wanted. And then the players just gravitate to who he was as a player.”

As far as the notion that the WR, who came along from Indianapolis with two first-round draft picks, was added on to a trade to sweeten the deal for the Jets and for the Colts to get rid of a disappointing pick, Glenn said Mitchell is “here for a reason.”

“When these trades happen, people think that he was a throw-in, but he was never a throw-in,” Glenn said. “He was a guy that we wanted… I been knowing about this player for a while, so for him to be a part of the trade, to be a part of what we’re building, he’s a true X [receiver], the body type is a true X, he has good speed, he can win one-on-one. 

“I just look forward to seeing him progress as the season goes, and for him coming back next year and being a huge part of what we’re doing.”

The plan for the Jets and Mitchell moving forward appears simple down the season’s home stretch: “We’re gonna try to get him the ball as much as we can,” Glenn said, adding that his big day “shows that he can make plays for us.”

“I just think his confidence is at an all-time high right now,” the coach said. “And we want to continue to get him the ball.”

On the afternoon, Mitchell tallied eight receptions on 12 targets for 102 yards (his first game of over 100 yards) and a touchdown. The WR said he was taking it “one play at a time” and if the opportunity for a big play presented itself, “try to make the most of it.”

Mitchell, who caught two passes for 15 yards, on the Jets’ final drive, setting up Nick Folk’s 56-yard game-winning field goal, said the credit for the good connection goes to the quarterback. 

“That kinda felt like all Tyrod, to be honest,” he told Coakley. “Feels like some balls just catch themselves, I didn’t really have to work too hard, just be where I was supposed to be.

“And Ty was on one, man. He was dealing that thing.”

The feeling was mutual.

"AD is a very special talent," Taylor said. "Watching his routes... watching how he practices every day, it means a lot to him. Put the ball around him and he's going to catch it."

The 36-year-old quarterback said working with the receiver 13 years his junior has been so far, so good: "We talked about it all week that we’re gonna need him, that we’re gonna need him. And his role is just to continue to keep growing throughout this season. 

“We’re putting a lot on his plate, and he’s welcoming it and accepting the challenge of going out there and playing ball.” 

For Mitchell, the last four weeks have been “hectic” since arriving in New York. But he credited hard work in the WR room with helping him adjust to his new surroundings, spending time in the film room and spending time together “during practice, after practice, before practice, things like that.”

On the touchdown, it was the perfect combination of taking the preparation from a week of practice, a good call from offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, and execution on the field. 

“We got the look that we prepared for the whole week, so that definitely felt good,” Mitchell said of the Falcons’ defensive alignment. “Kudos to the whole offensive staff for drawing it up. And I feel like we just played out the way it played out there in practice during the week.”