The 2024 season was another lost year for the Indianapolis Colts. In the last seven years, the team has won eight or more games five times. However, they only have two postseason appearances in that time. Their last was during the 2020 season when Phillip Rivers was QB.
To start the 2024 season, Anthony Richardson was the starter for Indianapolis. After early struggles, Richardson was benched for backup QB Joe Flacco. When Flacco lost two straight, head coach Shane Steichen went back to Richardson as the starter. That left the rest of the locker room confused and players struggled to understand their coach’s decision. Rookie WR Adonai Mitchell had sizeable expectations for himself in 2024 but he had a disappointing year. Speaking with the media, Mitchell said he went through “adversity” this past season. He’s hoping for consistency in 2025.
What went wrong for Adonai Mitchell in year one?
After disappointing rookie year, Colts WR Adonai Mitchell believes 2025 season “will be a whole lot better”https://t.co/Z1hA95PZdK pic.twitter.com/H4d9fDCR3Q
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) January 16, 2025
During his time in college, Adonai Mitchell played for Georgia and Texas. As a player on the field, Mitchell has all the tools. His size and speed made him an intriguing draft prospect. However, some scouts had concerns about Micthell’s “professionalism” and how that would translate to the pros. That’s largely why Mitchell fell to the second round. Colts’ GM Chris Ballard saw Mitchell as a value pick at #52 and they selected the WR out of Texas.
As a rookie with the Colts in 2024, Mitchell played in all 17 games and made seven starts. It was an underwhelming start to his NFL career with 23 catches for 312 yards and zero touchdowns. Consistency at QB can help a young WR grow and the Colts did not have that in 2024. Mitchell caught just (36.4) percent of his passes during his rookie campaign. He has 23 catches on 55 targets. The 22-year-old can put a rough first year behind him and start preparing for the 2025 season. Mitchell needs to put in the work this offseason to set himself up for success next year. Having consistent QB play would benefit the young WR greatly.
