The Indianapolis Colts are counting on rookie wide receiver Adonai Mitchell amid injuries to key starters like Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor. So far this season, however, “AD” has struggled to come through in contested situations, and Sunday was no exception, with the second-round draft pick seemingly avoiding contact on a catchable pass from Joe Flacco against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Facing a second-and-6 deep in their own territory, the Colts dialed up an in-breaking pass from Flacco to Mitchell while down 13-10 Sunday, and while Flacco’s throw went too far inside, the wideout barely extended a single arm for the ball while taking a step backward, away from an incoming pair of Jaguars defenders.
Mitchell may well have been sandwiched by the defenders had he fully extended for the ball, but his decision to avoid an attempt altogether quickly sparked comments from Colts fans on social media, with plenty arguing that this has become a recurring theme with the rookie pass catcher in 2024.
Just last week, during the Colts’ 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, opposing safety Minkah Fitzpatrick received a polarizing penalty for unnecessary roughness when he collided with Mitchell in an effort to defend a deep pass from Flacco to the wideout. Replay indicated that Mitchell may have slowed up at the end of the play, quickly extending one arm, absorbing Fitzpatrick’s hit, then celebrating the play.
NFL Media’s scouting report of Mitchell, who was drafted 52nd overall out of Texas this April, argued the receiver is “still learning the art of bullying the catch space in tight quarters and jump-ball battles,” and despite shifty footwork and a rangy catch radius, he doesn’t always “play with aggression” and “allows smaller players into his space to contest catches.”
He entered Sunday’s game with two catches for 32 yards to start his NFL career.
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