INDIANAPOLIS — Adonai Mitchell still has to earn back his spot in the Indianapolis Colts offense.
Mitchell has been declared inactive for Sunday’s game against the Cardinals, marking the second consecutive game the Colts have benched the second-year receiver after two critical gaffes in the team’s loss to the Rams.
Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen has repeatedly said Mitchell must prove himself to get back into the lineup.
“Continue to work and grind, go through it and have a great week of practice and a great week of preparation,” Steichen said.
Mitchell was a part of the active roster for last week’s game against the Raiders because the Colts had only five receivers available on the 53-man roster.
He played six snaps, but the 2024 second-round pick did not enter the game until Steichen inserted the backups in the fourth quarter of a 40-6 blowout.
With a healthy Alec Pierce back in the lineup after missing the last two games due to a concussion, the Colts decided to scratch Mitchell on Sunday. Indianapolis has elevated veteran running back Ameer Abdullah and cornerback Cameron Mitchell from the practice squad due to injuries at those positions, creating a numbers crunch.
Mitchell has seven catches for 137 yards this season, but 75 of those yards came on his worst play, a brilliant catch-and-run that turned into disaster when Mitchell tried to stretch his hands out in celebration at the goal line and fumbled the ball through the end zone.
The young wide receiver was also flagged for holding later in the game, nullifying a 53-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Taylor.
“There’s young stuff,” Colts wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne said. “My era was a little different, but I’ve done some foolish stuff. It’s just something that he’s got to get over. I can guarantee you he’ll never do it again, not just because he won’t be in the situation again, but because he’s learned from it.”
It remains to be seen when Mitchell will be a part of the lineup again. When Pierce was fully available for the first two games, Mitchell played just 22 offensive snaps, and unlike Ashton Dulin or Anthony Gould, Mitchell does not offer much on special teams.
But the Colts remain convinced of Mitchell’s athletic potential, and that means Mitchell must work to regain his spot in the offense.
“Do everything right,” Wayne said. “He’s grown, he knows what earn it means. He has to do all the little things right, be consistent with it and earn his way back. From my knowledge, he’s doing everything to get back on the field, so I guess time will tell.”
Joel A. Erickson covers the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Is Adonai Mitchell playing? Latest on the status of the Colts receiver
