Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool will be the main topic on Pittsburgh sports radio all week. Former Steelers players aren’t helping in that regard.
What Claypool did was foolish, sure. The Steelers wideout, who had been benched earlier in the game for yet another personal foul, celebrated with under a minute remaining and the Steelers driving to potentially tie the game, costing them valuable seconds.
It was the problem with these modern day Steelers encapsulated in one maneuver.
Yet, is Claypool the Steelers only issue? No. But you can bet he’ll be the main talking point pretty much all week.
Former Steelers call on Chase Claypool to be better
The most vocal of the former Steelers to come at Claypool was Ryan Clark, who has the largest platform at the Worldwide Leader. On ESPN, Clark called Claypool ‘mentally under-developed,’ among other insults.
.@Realrclark25 went OFF on Chase Claypool 😳
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) December 10, 2021
"Chase Claypool is as mentally and emotionally underdeveloped as he is physically overdeveloped. ... He only cares about himself! And that self-centeredness is part of what's bringing the Steelers team and organization down." pic.twitter.com/1ElNGKx5EU
Brett Keisel took a shot at both Claypool and wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster, who is currently on injured reserve.
Way back in 2014 when I was playing…
— Brett Keisel (@bkeisel99) December 10, 2021
Tick Tock was spelled this way and meant the clock was running
Time flies
Both Keisel and Clark are notorious members of the old guard.
Trai Essex, a former Steelers offensive lineman, couldn’t quite wrap his head around Claypool’s actions.
I just can’t fathom a professional NFL WR signaling first down with 30 seconds left on the clock and no timeouts. I can’t. pic.twitter.com/ocWpa5k32a
— Trai Essex (@TraiDay79) December 10, 2021
Ramon Foster even had some fun at Claypool’s expense. Foster is a former Steelers offensive lineman.
😂😂😂😂💀💀💀💀 yooo https://t.co/uYre63Wzmw
— Ramon Foster (@RamonFoster) December 10, 2021
Claypool is a laughing stock for now, at least until the Steelers play the Titans next week at Heinz Field and he has a chance at redemption. Yet, it’s not like this is the first boneheaded mistake Claypool has made this season — he leads all wide receivers in penalty yards against. It’s why Tomlin benched him in the first half.
If the Notre Dame product gets the message, he has a ton of potential to fall back on.