After the fumble on the field, Adonai Mitchell made the recovery off of it. The New York Jets wide receiver is known for a few things: He was a second-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts, he was a part of the Sauce Gardner trade in 2025 but most infamously, he was the subject of derision and jeers in 2025 after the wide receiver dropped a ball ahead of the end zone, leading to a fumble. The Colts would lose the game 27-20 to the Los Angeles Rams, and the trade would take place just weeks later. On "The Pivot" podcast with Ryan Clark, Mitchell relived the moment and those that came after, explaining how it happened and the darkness that followed.
"As I'm getting to the goal line, I'd say I got caught up in the emotion on it and the thrill of – 'finally,'" Mitchell said. "This is what I've been waiting for, this is my opportunity, I saw this (expletive) coming before it came, and I made it. I made the most of it. "When it (the fumble) happened, it was very humbling," he continued. "It just taught me the little things, the little details of the game, the (expletive) that we preach everyday. ODB, our damn ball, hold the ball, everything. It was something that, I had to take that (expletive) on the chin. I couldn't look to the man on my left or my right and be like, 'man, this is your fault.' I had to look in the mirror and I knew it was my fault from the jump." The play, which started with a highlight-reel grab from Mitchell, resulted in the wide receiver extending the ball ahead of the goal line and losing control. The ball careened out of the back of the end zone, leading to a touchback.
Ball is out before it crosses the goal line. It’s a touchback! INDvsLAR on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXnxVpic.twitter.com/DtuT1kDX9s — NFL (@NFL) September 28, 2025 "I feel like it helped me grow. It definitely helped me grow. The following weeks, I was in the dog house. I was pretty much – me, a couple of my teammates, a couple of the receivers, coach Reg (Reggie Wayne), I leaned on them a lot, but at the end of the day, when I left that facility, it was just me. I had to go home to an empty house and really live, live through that (expletive) over and over." The score would have been the first of Mitchell's career. Instead, the wide receiver would exit Indianapolis without a touchdown and would secure his first career score with the Jets. In the days that followed, Mitchell said he had to focus on himself and making sure his demeanor stayed positive. "I had to keep myself alive through that moment, because going in and out the building, ain't nobody really keeping me alive, ain't nobody saying – ain't nobody speaking that much life into me, I gotta do all that (expletive) myself," he added. Mitchell performed well following the trade from Indianapolis, with two touchdowns across 24 receptions (58 targets) in eight games (four starts) with the Jets. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jets wide receiver relives viral 2025 fumble: 'It helped me grow'