Add The New York Post on Google Adonai Mitchell tries to take it day by day. He tries to focus on the preparation and the present of his first Jets training camp since arriving from the Colts in the Sauce Gardner trade — and not where he and Garrett Wilson could take this offense.
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But, Mitchell admitted Tuesday, he does think about it. A lot. He thinks they “can be explosive” — and that applies to the entire offense, Mitchell said. And after a summer of strengthening his connection with Geno Smith, Mitchell — who tumbled down the Colts’ depth chart before his reset with the Jets — is set to open the regular season with the most consequential role of his career as Smith’s No. 2 target.
“I do think about it often, man, but I really try to just take it day by day because everything you see on Sunday comes from the days of preparation,” Mitchell said of his role alongside Wilson. “So I want to just focus on just preparing the best way that I can, so that when I go out there for game day, nothing surprises me.”
Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson stretches during practice at training camp in Florham Park, NJ, on Aug. 7, 2026. Bill Kostroun/New York Post Mitchell’s evolving chemistry with Smith, something that could shape the Jets passing offense, was on display Thursday. Smith’s first pass of the afternoon went to Mitchell. Another one later in practice — a deep throw down the left sideline — was caught by Mitchell, who spun the ball afterward.
And that cohesion, for the whole summer, has been a positive development for the Jets. They’ve struggled mightily to complement Wilson in the past. During the Aaron Rodgers era, they brought in Allen Lazard and traded for Davante Adams, but those routes didn’t lead to anything sustainable. Last year, Josh Reynolds, viewed as their No. 2 at the end of the summer, only finished with 101 receiving yards across five games.
Mitchell, though, will get some runway to settle into the complementary role for 2026 and beyond. He’s under contract through the end of 2027 — when his rookie deal, signed with the Colts after being a second-round pick in 2024, expires — and could establish a pairing with Wilson that carries beyond 2026, displaying what offensive coordinator Frank Reich described as a blend of self-belief and humility.
“That’s the fuel that we want to fire up our engine, is just a constant quest to get better,” Reich said, “and he’s got that.”
So much has changed for Mitchell, 23, since last fall. In Week 1 with the Colts, Mitchell logged 15 snaps. He was targeted twice and managed 13 more targets before the trade in early November.
Jets wide receiver Adonai Mitchell talks to the media before practice at training camp on Aug. 25, 2026. Bill Kostroun/New York Post The tenor of his career started to shift after arriving in Florham Park, though. He caught his first career touchdown pass in Week 13 — and then added another one weeks later.
With Wilson sidelined, Mitchell emerged as one of the brightest spots. He went from castoff to a potential building block to an important piece of their recipe to win games in 2026.
Questions will still follow this Jets offense into the regular season.
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But in Week 1, Mitchell will get a chance to start turning those visions of what the offense could be with him and Wilson as the top targets into something more tangible.
