A new plot twist in the Adonai Mitchell saga before the Week 6 matchup against the New England Patriots.
New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn confirmed on Wednesday, October 14, that Mitchell had surgery on his injured finger.
“Let me hit these injuries real quick. The one that I want to create some clarity on is AD Mitchell. So he did have a small procedure on his hand, but the good thing is he is moving his fingers around really, really well and I’m still going to put him on this week-to-week deal,” Glenn explained.
Mitchell hurt his finger before the Week 3 matchup against the Detroit Lions. The Jets didn’t place him on injured reserve. Had they placed him on IR, Mitchell would have been forced to miss a minimum of four games. He has missed the last three games.
Doesn’t Look Good for Mitchell
Glenn confirmed that Mitchell won’t practice on Wednesday.
“Breece [Hall], Dylan [Parham], and [Joseph] Ossai all three of those guys they won’t be practicing today, and again, they will be on a week-to-week basis,” Glenn said.
NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY said, “It doesn’t look like they will be playing this week.
The Jets tried to see if Mitchell could recover from his finger injury without going under the knife, but ultimately they opted for surgery.
“I think he waited like a week [to] a week and a half before he had [the surgery] to see how he would actually progress, and then we wanted to go ahead and got it knocked out,” Glenn said.
So what changed? A former Jets podcaster provided a possible explanation on X that is picking up some steam:
“I’d like to inform Jets twitter that AD Mitchell has type 1 diabetes. My daughter has Type 1 Diabetes and injuries like this take longer to recover from if you have T1D. Just a little awareness for everyone!” Jets Today posted.
“When blood is thick with high blood sugar, it takes longer for white blood cells to get to the wound site and fight off infection, delaying the healing process,” Health Partners explained. “If you have diabetes, your body doesn’t know how to effectively control your blood glucose, or blood sugar, on its own. If your blood sugar levels are consistently high, it can lead to problems with circulation, nerves and immune system – all of which can get in the way of good wound healing.”
Good News – Bad News Situation
The bad news is Mitchell is unlikely to suit up this week. If the Jets had placed him on IR when the injury initially occurred, they would have had a bonus roster spot to play with over the last month.
However, Glenn said he is already moving his fingers, and the return-to-play timeline shouldn’t be that far off. The Jets have been really missing him on offense.
This offseason, he quickly built chemistry with starting quarterback Geno Smith. Mitchell not only provided a Robin to Garrett Wilson’s Batman, but he also created verticality on offense with his elite speed.
Without Mitchell in the lineup, the Jets don’t have another player who can consistently provide that splash on the offensive side of the ball.
Jets Provide Surgery Update on Adonai Mitchell Before Pats Game