The New York Jets need building blocks, and former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell just made a pretty convincing case that he could be one of them.
In the Jetsâ 27â24 Week 13 win over the Falcons, Mitchell had the best performance of his young career to date, finishing with eight catches for 102 yards and his first NFL touchdown, a 52-yard shot that also served as New Yorkâs longest pass of the season.
The Colts drafted Mitchell in the second round (52nd overall) in 2024. He flashed as a rookie (23 catches for 312 yards) and opened 2025 with nine receptions for 152 yards in eight games, including a 75-yard grab against the Rams in Week 4. But he never found his niche behind Michael Pittman and Josh Downs.
So, when the Jets sent All-Pro corner Sauce Gardner to Indianapolis in a blockbuster trade, the Colts sent Mitchell plus first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 back in return. After his recent breakout, some are wondering if the Colts give up on him too soon.
Was Trading WR Adonai Mitchell a Mistake By the Indianapolis Colts?
GettyNew Jets WR Adonai Mitchell just had a career game. Did the Indianapolis Colts make a mistake by trading him?
It’s far too early to tell whether the Colts made a mistake by trading the second-year wideout. One good game is far from a few impactful seasons, which Mitchell has yet to have. If Mitchell keeps playing like he did in Week 13, though, the question of whether Indy moved on a beat too early is going to hang around for a while.
It is telling that in 25 games with the Colts, Mitchell never had a 100-yard game, yet it took him three games in New York to accomplish that milestone.
“Heâs here for a reason,” Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said about Mitchell after the win over Atlanta, before going into great detail about what he sees in the young WR:
Sometimes when these things happen, these trades happen, sometimes people think that heâs a throw-in. But he was never a throw-in. He was a guy that we wanted. Listen, we watched him coming out of college. Heâs actually from my hometown, so Iâve been knowing him for a while. He actually went to high school with my daughter, so Iâve been knowing about this player for a while. For him to be able to be a part of the trade, to be a part of what weâre building, again, heâs a true X. The body type is a true X. He has good speed. He can win one-on-one. I just look forward to seeing him progress as the season goes and for him coming back next year and being a huge part of what weâre doing.
It’ll be interesting to see how Mitchell fares in the future. Right now, he’s looking confident in a new system, which is fine. Sometimes a fresh start is best for both parties.
Colts Have Other Issues Heading Into Week 14
Mitchell’s success in New York aside, the Colts have bigger fish to fry right now. After a white-hot 7â1 start, the Colts are 2â3 over their last five games, with losses at Pittsburgh in Week 9, at Kansas City in overtime in Week 12 and at home to Houston in Week 13. Their only wins in that stretch came against Tennessee in Week 8 and the Falcons in Berlin in Week 10.
They blew an 11-point fourth-quarter lead in Kansas City, then managed only 16 points at home against a Texans team that has now beaten them four straight times.
And it’s not getting any easier The Colts still have to face the Jaguars twice, the 49ers and Seahawks once and the dreaded Texans to close out the regular season.
If the Colts can finish the season strong, trading away Mitchell and multiple valuable draft picks won’t seem to matter as much. But if the season implodes and Mitchell continues to shine, it’s going to be a very long offseason in Indianapolis.
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