Former teammates in Carolina, Smith has been of the most talkative players in NFL history over the course of his 15-year NFL career. With that in mind, Mitchell paid little attention to Smith's comments saying that the Steelers safety is on his 'lifetime hit list' after Baltimore's win over Pittsburgh last Thursday.
Smith left the game with an injury and is questionable for the Ravens next game with micro fractures in his back suffered in Thursday night's game. After a strong start to the season that included 25 catches for 325 yards in Baltimore's first three games, Smith had to exit Thursday's night's game after getting hit in the back by Lawrence Timmons. The Ravens wide receiver said that Mitchell crowed at him after the hit, saying, “How do you like that?” as Smith lingered in pain on the field before exiting the game.
"The best thing I could do without threatening him and saying, 'I will assault him when I see him' is I will say, 'I look forward to playing him again, and he's on my lifetime hit list," Smith said after the game. "I got speared in my back by an ex-teammate. I kinda know his character and who he is."
Mitchell has since responded to his ex-teammate's remarks, saying it's a non-issue as Mitchell and the Steelers prepare to take on the Chargers on Monday night football.
“It is something that he tries to use to fuel himself,” Mitchell said. “It isn't even something I concern myself with. I didn't think of anything when I heard about it, and I don't think anything about it now. I am going to continue on and play football.
“If you look at my fine history, I am more of a helmet-to-helmet kind of guy,” Mitchell said in reference to his fines while playing for the Panthers in 2013. “I am not going to spear you. I wasn't even involved in the play.”
Mitchell, signed by the Steelers last season to start at free safety opposite Troy Polamalu, has enjoyed a solid season thus far after an up and down first season in Pittsburgh. He has 19 tackles after four games while forcing a fumble in Pittsburgh's Week 1 game against the Patriots. He also deflected passes against the 49ers and Ravens while making five tackles in the Steelers game against Baltimore.
The hard-hitting safety has been one of the reasons for the defense's success since their Week 1 loss to New England, as the unit has allowed an average of just 16 points a game over the past three weeks. Mitchell has quickly gained a rapport with strong safety Will Allen, who was inserted into the starting lineup this season over Shamarko Thomas.
On Monday, Mitchell and the Steelers defense will face one of the game's best quarterbacks in Philip Rivers, who has completed nearly 71 percent of his passes this season.
While Mitchell brushed off Smith's warnings of future retribution, it will certainly be something to watch for when the teams meet again in Baltimore on Dec. 27.
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