seen as a raw player. Being a 21-year old rookie, he had difficulty adapting to the professional game and registered only 16 receptions for 210 yards and one touchdown. He suffered a shoulder injury and was placed on the injured reserve list from games 2 through 6. In 1993, he was among the league's leaders for tight ends with 39 receptions (fourth on the team) for 630 yards (third on the team) and 6 touchdowns. He had 7 receptions for 146 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Philadelphia Eagles. He was declared inactive in 2 games because of a knee injury. In 1994, his best season came under head coach Pete Carroll, when he was second on the team with 58 receptions for 749 yards and 4 touchdowns. He had 11 receptions for 120 yards against the Minnesota Vikings. He made 5 receptions for 81 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Miami Dolphins. In 1995, new head coach Rich Kotite took over and selected tight end Kyle Brady with the team's first selection in the 1995 NFL Draft. Mitchell numbers would drop to 45 receptions (third on the team) for 497 yards (second on the team) and 5 touchdowns, after missing 4 games with a back injury. He had 9 receptions for 108 yards and one touchdown against the New England Patriots. The Jets designated him as their franchise player before the 1996 season and tried to trade him, but ended granting him his release on April 23. Miami Dolphins On July 17, 1996, he signed as a free agent with the Miami Dolphins, who at the time were coached by Jimmy Johnson. He walked out of training camp after 12 days and announced his retirement at the age of 25 on July 29. Dallas Cowboys On November 21, 1996, the Dallas Cowboys convinced Mitchell to come out of retirement and signed him for depth purposes after dealing with injuries to tight ends Jay Novacek and Eric Bjornson. He played in 4 games (one start), registering one reception for 17 yards. He wasn't re-signed after the season. New York Jets (second stint) In 1999, Mitchell asked head coach Bill Parcells for an opportunity to restart his career. He was signed to a free agent contract on January 19, but lasted only one day in training camp, leaving in the middle of the night without telling anyone his intentions. He later