Adonai Mitchell’s return to the New York Jets offense has given Geno Smith a real jolt, and Week 8 was the clearest sign yet.
After sitting out a month with a finger injury the team kept fairly quiet, Mitchell had a quiet reentry in Week 7 against the Miami Dolphins, when he was targeted three times and didn’t come down with a catch. That looked like a player shaking off rust after missing four games. One week later, he looked fully involved.
Against a shaky Las Vegas Raiders secondary, Mitchell was targeted nine times and turned that into seven catches for 142 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 20.3 yards per reception and still left production on the table after dropping a catchable deep ball that could have pushed the numbers even higher.
What makes that outing stand out even more is the condition he’s still playing through. A photo shared by X user @SullyJN_ showed the 24-year-old with his right ring and middle fingers wrapped in a thick splint, a reminder that the same injury is still lingering more than a month later.
Mitchell’s absence from Weeks 3 through 6 was felt in the Jets offense, and not just because New York was also missing Omar Cooper Jr. and Tim Patrick for stretches. Smith and Mitchell had already built chemistry dating back to the summer, and that connection shows up when they’re on the field together.
With Mitchell in the lineup, Smith looks more comfortable attacking downfield. Mitchell’s speed gives the Jets a vertical threat they badly lacked while he was sidelined, and his ability to produce with his fingers taped up the way they are only adds to how impressive this stretch has been.
His rise also makes last trade deadline’s Sauce Gardner deal look even better for New York. At the time, it was already clear the Indianapolis Colts paid a steep price. Now, with Mitchell playing this well, that point is harder to miss.
The comparison to last week’s Jeffery Simmons trade only sharpens the argument. The Chicago Bears sent two first-round draft picks and a fourth-round pick to the Tennessee Titans for the Pro Bowl defensive tackle, while Mitchell is almost surely worth more than a fourth-round pick at this point. That makes the return the Jets got for Gardner look even stronger.
Jets fans have plenty of reason to appreciate the deal that brought Mitchell, Kenyon Sadiq, and a potential top-10 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft to New York.
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