Chris Ballard defends Colts newest wide receiver AD Mitchell in profanity-laced rant

Colts GM Chris Ballard is upset, and he wants you to know that AD Mitchell is a good kid. This one is NSFW.

Leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, there were countless rumors and reports about former Texas and current Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.

Outside of the criticism of what we could see on tape and what Mitchell himself said to the media, there were rumors and reports of poor interviews and a bad pre-draft process from the talented pass catcher. The reason AD Mitchell was available during the back half of the second round, was in no small part, due to those rumors of who Mitchell was off the field. Because on the field, Mitchell is as physically gifted as they come.

Chris Ballard wants you to know that he’s read those same reports.

Chris Ballard also wants you to know, he’s upset about it.

WARNING: The following clip is very much NSFW. If this were a motion picture it would receive an R-Rating for this 50 second clip, alone. You might not want to listen to it with children or your grandmother present (I don’t know your family, you figure it out).

“I don’t know, I mean I read some of the ******** that was said… it’s just the typical ******’ excuse my language… the unnamed sources, you know, bad interview, that’s such ********, I mean it ******’ is. It’s ******** like, put your name on it… we tear these young men down, these are 21, 22 year old men, and if people out there can tell me they’re perfect in their lives it’s crap. It’s crap this is a good kid and for those reports to come out… I said it last year it’s ********. I’m sorry. I apologize for my language. I don’t. But I do.”

It’s fair to say that Chris Ballard is upset that these anonymous reports have made their way into the yearly draft cycle that only serve to destroy the character of the young men hoping to realize their dreams. Many have pointed out how genuine Chris Ballard often seems during his press conferences and interviews, and it would be difficult to claim he wasn’t being authentically himself when he answered this question. Some will say he may have been too authentic.

It also feels important to point out the leadership Ballard is displaying here. Before this moment all of the talk around AD Mitchell was that he fell because there were concerns over who he is as a person. Over the rumors of bad interviews and immaturity. Now? Now the whole world is talking about Chris Ballard dropping multiple F-bombs during his night two post-draft presser. Chris Ballard has taken the heat off of the kid he just drafted and put it on himself, demanding that those anonymous sources “put your name on it”. Most importantly of all, for Adonai Mitchell, it shows that the guy who drafted him believes in him, has his back, and is willing to go to bat for him on day one.

This is a masterclass in organizational leadership. The guy in charge just told us how he really feels, the new (already embattled) wide receiver has a public ally and the rest of the NFL world is taking notes. Like it or not, Chris Ballard is having quite the moment.