5 Steelers players that are trending toward bust status

Steelers Chase Claypool

Of all of the names on this list, Chase Claypool has been the most consistent player. That said, he also arguably had the highest expectations of the players mentioned and has failed to live up to them. He took the league by storm as a rookie, scoring from all over the field and being a genuine threat with the ball in his hands. Most expected his numbers, except his scoring perhaps, to jump as a sophomore.

They didn’t, as Claypool had a frustratingly inconsistent season. While part of that was due to his quarterback play not favoring the deep ball (where he is best suited to win), he deserves plenty of the blame as well. He would completely disappear from games, as his effort on routes and as a blocker would disappear. Add in his childish antics, and the team seemingly had a problem on their hands.

Claypool has cleaned up most of those issues, as he has been a more consistent effort guy over the past few weeks and has been more complimentary of his teammates, but his play is still an issue. His touchdowns did regress (albeit that was to be expected) but he failed to make a jump with his receiving yards (he had 13 fewer yards this season despite playing more). While Diontae Johnson showed that any receiver can overcome inconsistencies, Claypool has a lot of work ahead of him. If he wants to be more than an average receiver, he needs to put in a lot of work this offseason. If not, he may fade and wind up as a bust.

While all five of these names still have time to improve and develop, right now things don’t look good for them. Some flashed, others didn’t, but right now each of these players have a lot of questions to answer. If they can’t, they may find themselves as official busts sooner rather than later.