In order to land cornerback Sauce Gardner, the Indianapolis Colts had to trade away two first-round draft picks and wide receiver AD Mitchell.
On Wednesday, head coach Shane Steichen was asked about the addition of Gardner to the defense, but also having to part ways with Mitchell.
“We talked to him before the trade happened, right before it happened, and obviously, I got a lot of respect for AD,” Steichen said. “I think AD is a very talented player. This is part of the business, and like I said, I wish him all the best. I hope he goes and has great success in New York.”
Mitchell possesses an immense amount of upside. His combination of speed and route running allows him to create space and attack each level of the field.
However, since the touchdown-turned-fumble against the LA Rams, Mitchell’s role on the Colts’ offense had been almost nonexistent. Over the last five games, he had played just 24 total snaps and was a healthy scratch against Arizona.
Beyond that one play, while Mitchell is supremely talented, he’s struggled to find consistency since entering the NFL.
He was also at a very crowded position group on this Colts team, and when it came to making this deal happen, the Jets obviously wanted Mitchell as part of the return.
Mitchell was a second-round draft pick by the Colts in 2024. He’s appeared in 25 games, catching 32 passes for 464 yards.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Shane Steichen weighs in on Colts trading away WR AD Mitchell
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Colts Wire / Colts Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
