Former New England Patriots wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell officially announced his retirement at TedxUGA this past Friday. Mitchell, a one-time Super Bowl champion, spent one season in New England before a series of knee injuries ended his career. Per ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Mitchell has had 10 knee surgeries throughout his career.
Malcolm Mitchell Announces Retirement
Malcolm Mitchell initially entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Selected by the New England Patriots, Mitchell made an immediate impression the first time he stepped on the field. Following an impressive training camp, Mitchell recorded four receptions for 55 yards in the first preseason game of the season. Unfortunately, Mitchell suffered a nasty arm injury while being tackled, prematurely ending his preseason.
The rookie returned for the start of the regular season, mostly serving as a backup behind Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, and Chris Hogan. After gaining the trust of quarterback Tom Brady, Mitchell took on a larger role in the offense as the season went on.
Mitchell’s first breakout performance came in Week 11 against the San Francisco 49ers. During that game, Mitchell recorded four receptions for 98 yards and the first touchdown on his career. Mitchell built on this impressive performance to go on a four-week stretch of strong production. Over that month-long period, Mitchell recorded 21 receptions for 263 yards and four touchdowns. Most notably, Mitchell recorded two touchdowns while covered by former All-Pro Darrelle Revis, including the game-winning score.
Mitchell, who had a history of knee injuries dating back to college, suffered another injury midway through Week 16’s 41-3 victory over the New York Jets. The Georgia product missed the regular season finale and the AFC Divisional Round win over the Houston Texans but returned to the field for the AFC Championship Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. After recording just one reception for five yards, Mitchell had one of the best games of his career two weeks later.
Serving as the top outside receiver, Mitchell recorded six receptions for 70 yards in Super Bowl LI. Mitchell led the team in fourth-quarter receiving yards and converted multiple third-down attempts. Quite frankly, New England doesn’t pull off that 28-3 comeback if it weren’t for the efforts of Malcolm Mitchell.
Mitchell never made it back onto the field since his Super Bowl LI. Mitchell recorded 32 receptions for 401 yards and four touchdowns throughout his one-year NFL career.
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