Chase Claypool has had many ups and downs in his first two pro seasons, but fans shouldn’t be giving up on him just yet. Here is why the Steelers should still be optimistic about their young receiver.
Chase Claypool has had a bit of a fall from grace after an explosive rookie season in 2020. He was a big part of the Steelers 11-0 start, making big plays for an offense that badly needed it. The best example was his 4-TD day against the Philadelphia Eagles, a dominant performance for a player in just his 4th professional game.
Claypool eventually hit the infamous rookie wall as the offense sputtered down the stretch, but he still put up an impressive 62 receptions for 873 receiving yards and 11 total touchdowns.
Expectations were understandably high as he entered his sophomore season, but things didn’t go the way he or the offense was hoping. A combination of mental errors and an overall drop in offensive production caused his numbers to either stagnate or regress.
He had very similar receiving yards (860) and receptions (59), but he only scored twice all season and generally struggled to be the deep threat the Steelers wanted him to be. It is never good when your season is more memorable for celebrating during a 2-minute drill than your play on the field.
Despite all of the concerning moments, it is far too early to give up on a player after just two seasons. The Steelers need all the talent they can get as they turn the page on the Roethlisberger era, and Chase has plenty of it. Here are 4 reasons to be optimistic about his future.
Claypool will be just 24 years old next season
This one is pretty straightforward but still important to consider: Chase will only be 24 years old at the start of next season. He has had trouble with his maturity and the mental aspect of the game in general, but that isn’t uncommon for players his age.
The mistakes on the field matter much more than how he chooses to act off the field, but cleaning up both would help him improve his standing with the fans and the team. I am never going to fault a player for being himself, but if it bleeds over into his play on the field it becomes a problem.
If he can get his mind right and focus on realizing his potential, who knows how good he can become.