In the NFC Divisional Playoff Game against the Green Bay Packers, with the Eagles facing a 4th and 26 situation, he caught a 28-yard pass from Donovan McNabb to help lead the team to a win in overtime.

When Owens went down with an ankle injury towards the end of the season, Mitchell replaced him as the starter and had a two-touchdown performance in the Divisional Playoff Game against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Kansas City Chiefs signed him shortly after, but he declined to have arthroscopic surgery on his injured knee and he was released before the start of the season.

[18] On September 19, Mitchell had surgery on his left femur after suffering a fracture at the end of a kickoff return in the first quarter of a 42–24 win over Houston the same day.

However, after a "remarkable" recovery, according to a member of the UCLA medical staff,[20] Mitchell was able to play for eleven snaps in the Rose Bowl on January 1, 1999.

[21] In the summer prior to the 1999 season, Mitchell and Poli-Dixon trained with Minnesota Vikings receivers Randy Moss and Cris Carter in Florida.

Mitchell, Poli-Dixon, Danny Farmer, and the rest of the UCLA receiving corps called themselves "The Birds" for their ability to "fly all over the field".

[39] Mitchell, along with teammate Poli-Dixon, was named to the Fred Biletnikoff Award watchlist for the outstanding receiver in college football during the preseason.

[42] In the 24–21 win over Fresno State on September 9, Mitchell led the team in receiving with six receptions for 58 yards and a 20-yard touchdown pass from McCann.

[44] On September 23, in the third quarter of a 29–10 loss against Oregon, Mitchell caught what appeared to be a touchdown in the corner of the end zone, but was ruled out-of-bounds by the officials.

[89] Mitchell was listed as "questionable" due to his hamstring injury before the start of the week two game against the Seattle Seahawks on September 23, and was not activated.

[91] Due to Brown's ineffective play, Mitchell replaced him as the Eagles' slot receiver in week eight against the Cardinals and had four receptions for 62 yards.

A pass intended for him on a fourth-down play was intercepted by Rams defensive back Aeneas Williams to clinch the win for St.

[102][103] Against the Cowboys in week sixteen, Pinkston left the game due to turf toe, and Mitchell caught two passes for 17 yards in his place.

[104] Mitchell started in place of Pinkston in the last regular season game against the Giants on December 28, and led the team in receiving with four catches for 35 yards.

It was after this dismal performance, despite having the benefit of Pro Bowl quarterback Donovan McNabb passing to him, that Mitchell began to be labeled as a "bust.

"[106][107] Mitchell competed with rookie Billy McMullen for the third wide receiver position in 2003 after Freeman left the Eagles following the 2002 season.

This catch is remembered primarily for the manner in which McNabb extended the play by eluding the Cowboys' pass rush for 14.1 seconds before eventually throwing to Mitchell.

[133][136][137][138] He began to openly voice his frustration over the limited role he continued to play in the Eagles' offense due to Owens' prominence.

Mitchell, who suffered a quad contusion during the game,[141] did not make a catch against Dallas, but was named the starter in Owens' place opposite Pinkston.

[142] Against the Rams in week sixteen, Mitchell caught a seven-yard touchdown pass from McNabb in the first quarter and finished the game with two receptions for 28 yards.

[1] In a divisional playoff game against the Vikings on January 16, 2005, Mitchell caught a two-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter and celebrated by feigning to pull his pants up, a reference to the touchdown celebration by Vikings' wide receiver Randy Moss, who pretended to pull his pants down to moon Green Bay fans the week before and was heavily criticized for doing so.

Mitchell recovered an L. J. Smith fumble in the endzone for a touchdown in the second quarter, and finished the game with a team-high five receptions for 65 yards.

[147] The Eagles finished the 2004 season with a 13–3 record and earned a trip to Super Bowl XXXIX, where they were to play the AFC champion New England Patriots.

[165] The Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League expressed interest in signing Mitchell in January 2006, but president Ron Jaworski, a former Eagles quarterback, had difficulties contacting him.

[172][173] Mitchell, as well as several other NFL players, received threatening hate mail in 2003, apparently due to his appearance on the reality show with Schmid as a mixed-race couple at the time.

Due to an outstanding warrant for failure to pay child support, he was arrested on charges of being a fugitive from justice, and was later released on $250,000 bail.

[182] He was arraigned on March 22 on the charges, and a warrant for his arrest in Indiana for failure to pay child support led to his incarceration in Orange County, Florida.

[183] In May 2012, Mitchell filed a lawsuit against a married couple, who were defendants in his previous charges, citing fraud, breach of contract, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

[185] At a hearing on October 24, 2013, in Orlando, Florida, he claimed that his crime stemmed from concussions he suffered during his career in the NFL, adding that he had headaches, insomnia, and memory loss.