When Adonai Mitchell made a leaping, toe-tap grab on the sidelines during the Colts' Week 9 game against the Minnesota Vikings, the wide receiver's teammates immediately started signaling for a catch. Linebacker Zaire Franklin and safety Ronnie Harrison Jr., who saw the play unfold right in front of them, motioned to the field judge as he walked over to the line judge to confirm the call.
Then came Reggie Wayne, barreling 10 yards down the sideline. The Colts' wide receivers coach, instantly recognizable in his bright orange ballcap, was the most emphatic one on the field as he nodded his head and pointed to the ground where Mitchell's feet had dragged inbounds before he crashed into the sideline.
Wayne didn't necessarily need to be as insistent as he was about the call – the officials quickly ruled it a catch – but he knew he was right, and he wanted to make sure everyone else knew it too.
Because really, it wasn't just that one call Wayne was right about. Mitchell's catch was a glimpse of the kind of player the Colts saw when they selected him in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the kind of player Wayne has been telling everyone to get ready for.
"He was a player (in college), he's a player now," Wayne said after the Colts' win over Jacksonville in Week 5, when Mitchell had four receptions on seven targets for 38 yards. "That's why we drafted him. We got a steal in the draft. Just keep watching."
In the first four games of the season, Mitchell had three receptions on 17 targets for a total of 42 yards. He would get open, but wouldn't always catch the ball or have the right timing on his routes. But the talent was there, and the Colts knew it.
"His style's a little unorthodox," Wayne said. "He's quick, he can run. He understands leverage...AD should have been top five receiver taken (in the draft). So that's just with his ability, his speed, his understanding of the game."
"I think the one thing people miss on him is just his smarts," Wayne added. "Understanding coverages and things of that nature. So being able to do all those things, they kind of give you a little edge."
With those intangibles firmly in hand, Wayne's message to Mitchell when he was struggling was simple: just keep playing. Do your part, catch the football and everything will work out.
"He's really been a lot of help to me," Mitchell said of Wayne. "Just going through all of it, kind of having a similar path."
"Everybody got something to say all the time," Wayne said. "He's a rookie...I was there before, like let him play. Let him play."
As a rookie, Wayne had 27 receptions on 49 targets for 345 yards and no touchdowns. He was criticized by "armchair quarterbacks," just like Mitchell, but kept faith in himself and ignored the outside noise. Wayne, of course, went on to be one of the best wide receivers in Colts history.
The Super Bowl champion and six-time Pro Bowler knew all Mitchell really needed was unwavering support from his coaches and teammates, and a little time to adjust to the NFL. When the opportunity came for the young wide receiver to get more snaps, he'd be just fine.
During the Colts' Week 10 game against the Buffalo Bills, that's exactly what happened.
Starting in place of an injured Michael Pittman Jr., Mitchell played 60 of the team's 64 snaps; his previous career-high was 33 snaps in Week 2. Able to really get into the rhythm of the game, Mitchell recorded a career-high six receptions on six targets for 71 yards.
"It definitely helps a lot to get the feel of the game, feel the flow of the game," Mitchell said. "It's a lot better than coming in one play and coming out the next play."
Sunday was something of a breakout game for the young player, but no one who knows him was surprised at his success; they've seen him work hard and prepare diligently every day since he joined the Colts.
"He's super consistent," Pierce said. "He's always one of the first guys in the facility."
"He watches a ton of film," Pittman said. "He knows every player by name, and he just has a high football knowledge."
Mitchell credits his success against the Bills to his mindset and day-to-day preparation; he always wants to be ready when his number is called. His on-field performance is also a product of how he acts on a regular basis, which is why Mitchell doesn't look at Sunday's game as anything other than a normal game where he was able to take advantage of his opportunities.
"I wouldn't necessarily call it a big game," he said. "It's pretty much just a regular game...just with a different type of opportunities."
With Pittman returning to practice this week, what Mitchell's playing time will look like going forward is unclear. But after his performance against the Bills, Mitchell left little doubt about what he's capable of with the opportunities he does get.
