INDIANAPOLIS -- Adonai Mitchell hears the criticisms.
He watches the clips back more than anyone, time and again in film sessions with Reggie Wayne. He sees how open he gets, and then the ball comes his way, and he's sometimes getting a fingertip or less on the pass.
When CBS play-by-play announcer Spero Dedes calls one incompletion a case of "gator arms," the moment can sting. But that doesn't make it completely unfounded.
"That’s pretty fair to the naked eye," Mitchell said. "… Nobody’s really gonna take a deep dive to be like, ‘Oh this was the play.’ Nobody cares. It’s all about results.
"I know that as a player. I just gotta keep working.”
Mitchell has shown all the athletic traits that drew the Colts to draft him in the second round out of Texas this spring. At 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, he's flown open to a separation score better than any wide receiver in the NFL through five games. That's why Indianapolis continues to give him chances despite a crowded receiver room.
Sometimes, though, he feels like he's moving too fast, and that's led to connection issues whether Anthony Richardson or Joe Flacco is at quarterback.
“I feel like I complicate things a lot of times," Mitchell said. "Try to put a lot of hot sauce on routes, and sometimes all you need is salt.”
The production hasn't come close to the measurables yet. On 20 targets, Mitchell has turned in six catches for 70 yards. His 30% catch rate through five games is the worst by an NFL wide receiver since 2017.
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But despite some scrutinized clips against the Packers and Jaguars, Mitchell denies that it's a matter of being afraid of contact.
“Nah. Just like I said, bruh — young, a lot to learn, a lot to grow from," Mitchell said. "And ain’t nobody in the Hall of Fame from their rookie year."
Reggie Wayne, who watches all of these clips back with Mitchell, also pushed back on the criticism.
“They said the same thing about me. That’s why, Monday nights and Sunday nights, I don’t listen to the game with the volume up," said the Colts receivers coach, who is also the franchise's all-time leader in games played.
"... Everybody’s got something to say. All the time."
Mitchell just turned 22 years old on Tuesday. He's played five games of his NFL career. It was always going to be a process.
"He’s a rookie. This is what rookies do," said Wayne, who often points out that he didn't become a full starter until his third year in 2003 despite being a first-round pick.
"Let him play. Let him play. Watch NFL Red Zone and watch all the, man, just let him play. If he catches half the balls that’s been underthrown or overthrown or whatever, that he’s had so far, then find something else. That’s the world we live in. That’s, what, they say, the armchair quarterback. They’ve got something to say, but you put the helmet on, let them run into them animals out there and see.”
The Colts have a couple of receivers in the current room who have dealt with first-year struggles as second-round picks, too. Michael Pittman Jr. turned in 40 catches for 503 yards and one touchdown amid some injuries during his rookie season. Alec Pierce had 41 catches for 593 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie as the Colts fired a coach and an offensive coordinator and ran through three starting quarterbacks.
"Just have patience, keep working and trust the process," Pierce said. "To AD, I'll tell him I think he's doing a great job out there creating a lot of separation and getting open. It's just unfortunate we've missed him a few times on some big plays. It's tough because that's just the way it goes.
"He's been so close to making the big play. It'll come."
Last game was the one the Colts showcased Mitchell the most, giving him seven targets. That number could stay steady with Pittman set to miss time and possibly head to injured reserve with a back injury and with Josh Downs missing the first two practices this week with a toe injury.
The learning moment has arrived for Mitchell, and he's as confident as ever that it's going to be a step in a journey that has a long way to go.
"We're gonna look back at this moment," Mitchell said, "and speak about things a lot differently.”
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Adonai Mitchell addresses 'gator arms' criticism and the need for growth
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