Ashton Dulin Delivers, As Colts Bench AD Mitchell
INDIANAPOLIS – The AD Mitchell punishment continued on Sunday.
And the man who took his role proved quite trustworthy in getting that opportunity.
Long beloved by the Colts coaching staff, no matter the head coach, Ashton Dulin seemed like the perfect person to show Mitchell what it looks like to be responsible and trustworthy in a game.
With typical roles as punt gunner and kick return still on his plate, Dulin logged a career-high 47 offensive snaps on Sunday, catching 2 passes for 55 yards, and earning a 19-yard pass interference penalty, too.
“He is just, as gritty as they come,” Shane Steichen said of Dulin after the Colts 40-6 win over the Raiders. “He’s as tough as they come, and he does anything that’s asked. And he understands his role.
“I go over roles and opportunities to start the season, and I go through every player and he and I say, ‘Hey, you’re our special teams ace, and you’re going to go cover kicks. And when you get your opportunity on offense, go make the most of it.’ And (Sunday) obviously he got a hell of an opportunity to play a ton on offense. He made some big-time plays, caught a big in cut there, and then, obviously there in the fourth quarter threw the go-ball to him, went up and made a hell of a play. So hats off to him.”
Dulin is a tremendous Colts story.
As an undrafted free agent in 2019, Dulin has withstood multiple coaching staff changes and drafted wideouts in Parris Campbell (2019), Michael Pittman Jr. (2020), WR-Dezmon Patmon (2020), Mike Strachan (2021), Alec Pierce (2022), Josh Downs (2023), AD Mitchell (2024), Anthony Gould (2025).
Not only has Dulin carved out a dynamic special teams career (All-Pro in 2021), but he’s proven to be reliable whenever the Colts have called his offensive number.
On a normal Sunday, the Colts still turn to Dulin for somewhere around a dozen offensive snaps.
With Mitchell punished to the scout team during last week’s practice, the plan was always to have Dulin play more than the second-year wideout.
A Friday concussion protocol setback for Alec Pierce meant the Colts would have to throw even more at Dulin.
Sending the message of a pseudo benching to Mitchell was one thing, but the player replacing him stands for so much of what the Colts want to be about.
Now comes the potential question:
Did Dulin earn enough to maintain that role if the Alec Pierce (concussion) absence extends to a third straight game?
“Just a tremendous worker is what (Dulin) is,” Steichen says.
In coach speak, that’s quite the compliment.
