Perhaps nobody this side of William Gay has done a finer job silencing his critics within the Pittsburgh Steelers faithful in recent memory than has veteran safety Mike Mitchell, in his second season with the team after signing a comparatively lucrative free agent contract to take over for Ryan Clark.
The former Raiders second-round pick struggled through much of his first season in 2014 as he played through multiple groin tears that he had surgically repaired during the offseason, and which still present him with pain and stiffness.
But he has done a remarkable job in providing an air of consistency on the back end, improving in nearly every facet of the game.