Well, that isn’t good news for the New York Jets.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini revealed a very concerning update on wide receiver Adonai Mitchell on the “Jets Collective” podcast.
“Well, the Jets have been pretty tight-lipped on this one, but clearly it’s not your run-of-the-mill sprained finger. I mean, if it were a sprained finger or something of that nature, he would have been out there taped up. We all saw the giant cast on his hand,” Cimini said.
“It would not shock me if we find out that he had surgery. I have not seen him at all in the locker room. Usually you see a guy you know wandering through the locker room. I haven’t seen AD Mitchell in a couple of weeks since that injury,” Cimini revealed.
Mitchell popped up on the injury report ahead of the Week 3 contest versus the Detroit Lions. Glenn revealed that Mitchell got his finger caught in a jersey during practice. At the time of the injury, Glenn seemed to downplay it at the podium.
Likely out Another Week
Mitchell didn’t practice on Wednesday or Thursday ahead of the Week 5 home game versus the Cleveland Browns.
That’s not a great sign for Mitchell’s potential availability for this week.
“They are being really secretive about it. I was told that it was broken. [Aaron] Glenn denied that. We will find out. There is a small chance this week, but I would think the week after is a good likelihood,” Cimini said.
If you follow the breadcrumbs, a return in Week 6 makes the most sense for Mitchell. The Jets had a chance to place AD on injured reserve ahead of Week 3. Had the Jets done that, Mitchell would have been forced to miss four games. The Jets refused to do that.
The only logical conclusion to draw is that the team expects Mitchell back within four weeks. Or else they wasted a roster spot over the past couple of weeks.
The Jets Really Need Him Back
Gang Green is hurting on offense. The Jets are coming off their most lackluster offensive performance of the season in Week 4.
This is the National Football League, injuries are going to happen, there is a war of attrition. However, the Jets are banged up: missing their RB1 (Breece Hall), starting left guard (Dylan Parham), WR2 (Mitchell), and TE1/2 (Mason Taylor). Tough sledding.
Mitchell has obvious chemistry with Geno Smith. He brings elite speed on offense. He brings a verticality element. Plus it opens stuff up for Garrett Wilson when Mitchell has success.
Mitchell, 24, started the first two games of this season. He has been targeted 15 times, catching nine passes for 123 receiving yards, and has averaged 13.7 yards per reception.
The other part of this is the evaluation process. Mitchell is still on his rookie contract. After the 2026 season he will become eligible to discuss an extension for the first time in his NFL career. The Jets need to find out exactly who he is and what he brings to the table. The more time he spends on the shelf, the less the Jets can learn about him to inform their upcoming decisions.
Insider Shares Concerning Update on Injured Jets WR Adonai Mitchell