Colts’ HC Shane Steichen weighed in on AD Mitchell’s up and down start to training camp.
#Colts WR AD Mitchell has had a rough camp so far. Two more drops today on back-to-back plays in 11-on-11. By my count, he has four drops in 11-on-11 through four camp practices.
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) July 26, 2025
After putting together some steady performances during offseason programs, it’s been a slow start to training camp for Indianapolis Colts’ second-year wide receiver AD Mitchell.
During Saturday’s practice, Mitchell had two drops on back-to-back plays, according to The Athletic’s James Boyd. By Boyd’s count, Mitchell now has four drops through four practices.
“Guys are going to have good plays, some guys are going to have bad plays at times, and we got a lot of confidence in him,” Shane Steichen said after Saturday’s practice. “He’s a hell of a route runner. Everyone’s development is different, so we’re working through that and got a ton of confidence in his ability.”
As ESPN’s advanced receiver score metric illustrates–and as we can see with our eyes–Mitchell is excellent at creating separation and getting open. His combination of speed and route-running abilities makes him a very difficult matchup, especially against man coverage.
However, up to this point in his young career, the consistency hasn’t been there. Drops and mistimed or off routes have been too prevalent through his first year-plus in the NFL.
Through OTAs and minicamp, it looked like Mitchell had turned a corner, with him off to an “exciting start,” as offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter put it. While, of course, things can change quickly, that steadiness hasn’t quite carried over to training camp.
With Michael Pittman, Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce, the top three spots on the Colts‘ receiver depth chart are pretty well-established. But if Mitchell is going to see more opportunities in Year 2, it starts with being consistent in practice.