WESTFIELD, Ind – Sometimes, the only way to come to a decision is to sit back and just let the chips fall where they may.
Or, in the case of the Colts and their wide receiver battle, it's to stand on the sidelines and let the ball land where it lands.
It will either be in the hands of third-year veteran Alec Pierce or rookie Adonai Mitchell, but any detail beyond who is catching the ball is still an unknown. Both wide receivers are putting on impressive performances at training camp with highlight-reel plays and consistent routine catches alike, leaving the question as who will start on the outside opposite Michael Pittman Jr. a mystery.
That's a good thing.
"It seems like every other day one of them is making a huge play and then the next day they get answered by the other guy," offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said Monday. "Competition is bringing out the best in both of them, and shoot, the Colts are getting better because of it."
If Mitchell has a leaping catch in the end zone where he loses his helmet and riles up the crowd one day, Pierce will dive through multiple defenders to snag a deep pass downfield and celebrate with wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne the next.
The phrase "iron sharpens iron" has been said countless times throughout the Colts' training camp, most often by the defense talking about facing off with the offense and vice versa. But Pierce and Mitchell are proving it's just as applicable for position battles.
In his first two seasons with the Colts, Pierce always held a set role in the team's offense as the second outside receiver, totaling 1,107 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 33 games played. With Mitchell – a second-round pick who compiled 93 receptions for 1,405 yards and 18 touchdowns in college – entering the fray, that spot is up for grabs. And with a quarterback like Anthony Richardson who is willing and able to sling the ball downfield, the pressure to prove they can perform is firmly on both wide receivers' shoulders.
So far, Mitchell and Pierce have both risen to the challenge. While that may seem like it would make depth chart decisions at the end of the camp more difficult, that's not how Cooter and the Colts look at it.
"They're both damn good football players," Cooter said. "And we've always got space to play good players and let them go help us win."
Wayne told media after the first few practices at camp that he believed both wide receivers would see playing time, and Cooter echoed that sentiment Monday. Now a little over halfway through camp, neither Mitchell nor Pierce have let up in their efforts, even in 90-degree Midwest summer heat.
Because of that, no one else can either.
The defense has to be even more prepared to account for their speed downfield on every play. Richardson has to be even more willing to launch a deep pass if the opportunity arises. Pierce and Mitchell are the perfect encapsulation of the mentality all the Colts have come to camp with; they're giving their all every day, no matter what.
"They're competing for playing time, they're competing for targets, for everything right now, which is the beauty of football, it's the beauty of training camp," Cooter said. "It's a nice time to just sort of watch them go about their business and trade off reps. Some days one of them gets a little more of an interesting script than the other."
Luckily for Cooter, and everyone else who enjoys watching Pierce and Mitchell trade off high-level plays, there's still plenty of time for the two to compete. The Colts still have joint practices and preseason games on their schedule before the first game of the season Sept. 8. So, while a great deal is still uncertain, there's one thing that's guaranteed: August will be an exciting month, and Pierce and Mitchell will play a big role as to why.
