3 reasons Steelers must sit Claypool for the rest of season

The dreaded rookie wall

While the idea of a trap game is more in questioned due to the talent differences amongst NFL teams, the rookie wall is a lot more legitimate of a concern. Typical rookies go from playing a full college season, to prepping for the draft, to training camp, to then playing in the season. It’s a grueling stretch for these young players, and it isn’t uncommon to see some of these rookies fade down the stretch.

While Mike Tomlin recently claimed that Claypool’s snap decrease was in hopes of preventing him from hitting the rookie wall, it seems likely that Claypool is wearing down after playing far more snaps than most thought he would. This isn’t a negative on Claypool by any means, it just proves that he is worn down from non-stop football for over a year.

These next two weeks could be a great opportunity for Claypool to rest up before the playoffs. Perhaps for the Colts, he plays in a minimal role, and then during the finale at Cleveland, he is off the field completely. Out of all of the receivers, Claypool has proven that he can be the biggest threat when on the field. That said, his role with the team has shrunk, and it may be to him hitting the wall. The Steelers have a good opportunity to give him some well-earned rest