Had everything gone according to plan, Malcolm Mitchell would still be a part of the New England Patriots’ wide receiver group. After all, he showed considerable promise during his 2016 rookie season and appeared to be well on his way to become a contributor for the team for years to come. Then came 2017, however: he missed all of his second year in the NFL due to a nagging knee injury that would ultimately end his career.
The 26-year-old officially announced his retirement from pro football earlier this year. At that point, he had already been released by the Patriots — they parted ways with him in August of 2018 — after appearing in only sixteen games for them and not playing in one since Super Bowl 51.