Getty New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh reacting in the middle of practice.
The New York Jets found a gem with the No. 111 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft.
Offensive tackle Max Mitchell quickly found his way to the starting lineup as a rookie but was abruptly yanked late in the season due to some on-field struggles. The former Louisiana product was dealing with a non-football issue that raised serious questions about his career and even possibly his life.
“Max Mitchell wondered if it could kill him. Maybe it would end his football career,” Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic said in a column posted on Tuesday, July 25.
Mitchell got benched during the Week 13 road tilt versus the Minnesota Vikings.
“The next day, tests revealed he had factor V Leiden, a genetic blood-clotting disorder. In its most severe form, it can be a life-threatening condition, and tests showed blood clots in his leg and a pulmonary embolism in his lung,” Rosenblatt explained.
Mitchell Is Raising Eyebrows Inside the Jets Building
All in all, Mitchell appeared in six games and made five starts during his rookie season.
However, he wasn’t even supposed to play as much as he did as a 23-year-old.
Rosenblatt said the team viewed him as a “developmental tackle who could sit for a year or two.”
He was projected to be a backup who could learn from other players in front of him on the depth chart.
Mike Tyson once said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”
The Jets’ offensive line room in 2022 was the mouth that got punched. Prior to the season getting underway, Mekhi Becton was lost for the season due to a dislocated knee cap. Duane Brown, the guy the Jets signed to replace Becton, tore his rotator cuff and was placed on injured reserve missing the first four games of the season.
Mitchell went from bench study to Week 1 starter at right tackle.
Former Jets offensive line coach John Benton admitted that he was “very nervous” for Mitchell heading into the season opener, but said “he handled it very well.”
Mitchell Could Be a Betting Favorite to Start for Jets
Mitchell is now healthy after methodically working his way back from that scary situation last year.
He was forced to go on blood thinners to help nurse him back to health. That lasted for over four months, per Rosenblatt, but Mitchell was “permitted” to stop taking them back in April.
Now at the beginning of training camp, Mitchell “might be the favorite to start at right tackle”, Rosenblatt said.
The Jets don’t have a recent great history of finding solid contributors in the middle rounds, but Mitchell stands out from the pack.
Mitchell is under contract for the next three seasons through 2025. The totality of his rookie contract is worth $4.3 million.
If the Jets landed a starting offensive tackle for relative peanuts that could be a massive difference-maker from a roster-building perspective.
Spending $1.06 million in base salary in 2023 on Mitchell opens up the door to get creative financially at other positions to improve the roster.
After practice on Tuesday, July 25, Jets head coach Robert Saleh heaped a ton of praise on the young man saying he loves his “mental makeup.”
I love how honest #Jets HC Robert Saleh is. He admitted there were some ‘sleepless nights’ last season when OT Max Mitchell (@MaxMitch09) was forced to start because of injuries, they weren’t sure he was ready, but he proved himself & they said ‘shoot, that wasn’t bad’ + said he…