Adonai Mitchell's explosive Week 8 outing shouldn't go under the radar for 1 reason

Man, it's great to have Adonai Mitchell back in the fold for the New York Jets offense. After missing a month of action with an ill-timed finger injury (that the team felt the need to keep rather mysterious), Mitchell has been a boon for Geno Smith, particularly in Week 8.

In Week 7 against the Miami Dolphins, Mitchell failed to record a single catch, despite three targets. After missing four games, he likely needed a game to reacclimate himself into the offense and get his game legs underneath him.

But in Week 8, Mitchell made his presence felt against a vulnerable Las Vegas Raiders secondary. The former Texas standout was targeted nine times and led the Jets with seven catches for 142 yards and a touchdown, for an average of 20.3 yards per reception. He even dropped a catchable deep ball that could've brought that total up even more.

But what can't be forgotten about Mitchell's offensive explosion is the fact that he is still dealing with that same finger injury from over a month ago. In a picture shared by X user @SullyJN_, the 24-year-old still has his right ring and middle fingers wrapped up in an incredibly thick splint.

Adonai Mitchell producing for the New York Jets despite lingering finger injury

Mitchell's presence was missed within the Jets offense from Weeks 3 to 6, and that's not just because New York was missing the likes of Omar Cooper Jr. and Tim Patrick for parts of that too.

Smith and Mitchell have clearly developed a chemistry with one another dating back to the summer, and it shows when the veteran quarterback and young wide receiver are on the field together.

When Mitchell is in the lineup, Smith looks like he's more confident, particularly when it comes to pushing the ball down the field. Mitchell's blazing speed gives the Jets a vertical element to their offense that they sorely lacked when he was sidelined.

The fact that he is able to come back and produce, especially with his fingers taped up the way they are, is incredibly impressive and shouldn't be overlooked.

Adonai Mitchell makes the Sauce Gardner trade look all that much better

As if last trade deadline's Sauce Gardner trade wasn't good enough, Mitchell continues to make it look even better. It was apparent at the time that the Indianapolis Colts overpaid in the deal, but with Mitchell's ascension, it's become even more obvious.

Take last week's Jeffery Simmons trade, which saw the Chicago Bears send two first-round draft picks and a fourth-round pick to the Tennessee Titans for the Pro Bowl defensive tackle. Mitchell is almost surely worth more than a fourth-round pick at this point, so you could say the Jets got more for Gardner than the Titans did for Simmons.

Chris Ballard doesn't have a job anymore, but Jets fans should continuously thank him for a deal that netted New York Mitchell, Kenyon Sadiq, and a potential top-10 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow