The New York Jets needed someone to step up with Garrett Wilson being placed on injured reserve. Instead, their new pass catcher, Adonai Mitchell, stepped back against the New England Patriots.
Mitchell was targeted six times, but he only came down with one reception for 10 yards. “He dropped two passes, including a deep ball on [Christian] Gonzalez that would’ve gone for at least 40 yards,” ESPN’s Rich Cimini shared on Sunday, November 16.
It was a disappointing debut in a lot of ways for the 23-year-old wide receiver who was acquired in the blockbuster trade for Sauce Gardner. However, there were also flashes of why the Jets demanded he was in the deal in the first place.
“Mitchell ranked 1st in the NFL in Average Separation Score heading into Week 10 of the 2024 season, with a score of 0.667 after Week 1 (minimum 15 routes) and 0.360 through early October,” per Pro Football Focus. “[Average Seperation Score] measures a receiver’s ability to create space from defenders across all routes run, not just targeted plays. His consistently high ASS underscores his elite separation ability.”
That was on full display against New England in Week 11.
The Jets have seven games left in their 2025 regular season.
Mitchell might have had a bad debut, but that won’t stop the coaching staff from feeding him the ball.
“Listen, he is a big, fast — he is going to be a good player for us. I mean, he missed some balls today, I think we all saw that — him being here for two weeks and having truly a week of going out there and practicing, we gotta get him back out there and do more, but I think he will tell you himself that he has to make some of those plays that were thrown to him. We gotta try and do a better job of getting him open also,” head coach Aaron Glenn explained after the game.
To his credit, Mitchell took full accountability after the game.
“If I could really pinpoint anything,” Mitchell told Cimini, “I’d point the finger at myself and say, ‘I need to perform better.’”
One reason Mitchell will continue to get looks is because well someone has to. The Jets are lacking in options at pass catcher after a variety of injuries. So in a way, the team has no choice.
Beyond that, Mitchell is a former second-round pick, a top 60 talent in the draft, who has obvious skills and traits. He is listed at 6-foot-2 and weighs 205 pounds, per the Jets’ official roster sheet. Mitchell ran a blazing 4.34 40-yard dash during the pre-draft process.
Wilson being out of the lineup is a unique opportunity to use that target share to properly evaluate what else you have in the room. One of the top needs for the Jets heading into the offseason is finding a legitimate receiver next to Wilson.
Maybe they can answer that question in the final seven games of this season instead of having to acquire one from outside the building.
The San Francisco 49ers suffered a significant blow on September 22 when Nick Bosa tore his ACL, ruling him out for the season. The news immediately sparked trade speculation as the team sought ways to replace its star pass rusher.
Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson is at the center of that speculation. Hendrickson, an All-Pro last season, led the NFL with 17.5 sacks.
Adding to the intrigue, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is expected to miss about three months. With Burrow sidelined, Cincinnati’s ability to navigate this stretch is uncertain—potentially making Hendrickson available if the 49ers are willing to pay the price.
Nonetheless, if San Francisco hopes to fill Bosa’s shoes this season, The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami believes Hendrickson’s track record indicates the veteran could match the production the 49ers star provides.
“Hendrickson doesn’t just help their depth,” Kawakami said during an appearance on 95.7 The Game. “He lifts up everything. He’s your closest Bosa replacement. He might be better than Bosa right now. He has 17.5 sacks over the last two years. No one else has done that.”
Cincinnati are 2-1, and backup quarterback Jake Browning had a disastrous showing in the Week 3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Moreover, Browning leads the league in interceptions with five despite only playing two games. As a result, unless his play drastically improves or the Bengals make a trade for a quarterback, Hendrickson could be a serious target for San Francisco, as Cincinnati might be dropping out of the playoff picture.
“There [are] other names out there,” Kawakami added. “Arden Key and all these other names. Kayvon Thibodeaux. I just think Trey Hendrickson, for a lot of reasons, fits kind of the now and possibly down the road.
I’d give up a second-round pick for him. Conditionally, they could change to a first. Maybe that’s a little high. They probably don’t want to give up a first. They do
have to keep their draft picks, most of them, because they got guys they need to replace down the road.
“But if you know the 49ers, they’ve always liked Hendrickson. That’s a guy they like. They would have liked him two years ago, three years ago. Cincinnati was not trading him back then. I think Cincinnati would be very motivated to move him at some point this season because I
think there he’s not gonna he’s not going to be on their team next season.
“It’s just going to be a matter of when they are going to start talking about a second-round pick, when that’s going to be on the table. It might not be something the 49ers want to do right now. I would do it right now, but I’m a different mindset than they are.”
Although Kawakami says that the 49ers have a long-standing interest in the veteran pass rusher, Matt Barrows of The Athletic doesn’t expect San Francisco to trade for Hendrickson, given the path the front office has chosen in shaping the team for the 2025 season.
“Trey Hendrickson is an older, expensive player who turns 31 in December,” Barrows said during an appearance on 95.7 The Game. “[Trading for him] would run counter to everything the 49ers mapped out [for the season] back in January and February…but situations change.”