Why Jets fans should find the Adonai Mitchell-Sauce Gardner trade hysterical

Objectively, the New York Jets’ Sauce Gardner-Adonai Mitchell trade is absurdly hilarious. 

On the one hand, the Jets parted ways with an All-Pro cornerback seemingly out of nowhere and months after they extended him. 

But nearly a year later, the narrative isn’t that the Jets moved too quickly or that they’ll regret sending Gardner to the Colts. 

Instead, the Jets’ offseason has featured nonstop excitement regarding Mitchell, the third-year receiver out of Texas and likely No. 2 receiver. 

What would be a successful season for Jets receiver Adonai Mitchell?

The continued Mitchell praise isn’t too surprising, considering that The Jet Praise has talked him up for months. 

By no means do we expect Mitchell to become the next Justin Jefferson overnight. 

However, those around the Jets have consistently raved about how Mitchell looked during OTAs and his growing connection with Geno Smith. 

Barring injury, Garrett Wilson will remain the Jets’ alpha receiver and Smith’s presumed top target. 

What does that mean for Mitchell? We got a brief taste last year. 

Mitchell had 24 catches for 301 yards and two touchdowns in eight games with the Jets. 

Across a 17-game season, that’s roughly 50 catches and 600 yards. But keep in mind he and Wilson never played together. 

For the sake of conversation, let’s say that Mitchell hits those marks this year.  

Consider that 62 players had at least 600 receiving yards last year. The Jets were not among them, partly because injuries limited Wilson to 395 yards over seven games. 

Those numbers would prove that Mitchell could be a capable No. 2 receiver when given the opportunity. 

Keep in mind that Mitchell, a 2024 second-round pick, is eligible for a new contract next spring. 

He’d certainly have the leverage to command an extension from the Jets. 

By that theoretical point, Mitchell would have played roughly 25 games for the Jets. That’s typically enough of a sample size from a trade or waiver wire pickup. 

Despite the rapidly growing optimism, we’re holding off on projecting Mitchell to have a 1,000-yard season. 

Wilson began his career with three consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns, and there’s no reason to think he won’t make it four in five years. 

But if the Jets can get 50 catches and 600 yards from Mitchell, they’ll be beyond ecstatic — and rightfully so. 

Not too bad for a player who some fans may have assumed was simply a throw-in component of the Gardner trade.

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