The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a history of talented wide receivers who just don't happen to pan out with the team. There's obviously Antonio Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and most recently George Pickens. But one receiver that never truly panned out in Pittsburgh was Chase Claypool. After being drafted in 2020 out of Notre Dame, Claypool made an immediate impact, catching 62 passes for 873 yards and nine touchdowns. But after his sophomore season, his production dipped, and he was unhappy with his role on the roster. That led to a trade out of Pittsburgh.
Claypool has not played football since the 2023 season. That's because he suffered an injury while he was on the Buffalo Bills ahead of the 2024 season, which forced him to miss the entire year.
Claypool released a statement on Friday, revealing that he missed the entire 2024 season due to a torn ligament in his toe. Claypool thanked the Bills for helping him during his recovery, but then revealed that he's ready to play again in 2025, looking to contribute on a team.
Steelers fans can't help but root for Claypool as he makes a push to play in 2025.
"I am back to being the strongest and fastest I’ve ever been and couldn’t be more excited to step back out on the field and let my actions speak for themselves," writes Claypool. "I deeply and truly believe that the pieces will align, and I will work my way into the position to show off what’s been suppressed these last two years."
Former Steelers Chase Claypool announces he's determined to play in the NFL in 2025
Sure, Claypool's tenure in Pittsburgh didn't work out the way they hoped for, but he seems extremely determined to show the NFL world that he can be a productive wide receiver. Steelers fans can certainly respect that. That comeback attempt may not be with the Steelers, however.
As mentioned earlier, Claypool made a gigantic impression in his rookie season. Even though he did log 860 receiving yards in his second season, he only had two touchdowns. But that year, he caught the ire of Steelers fans as he celebrated a first-down catch in the team's final drive against the Minnesota Vikings. The Steelers had no timeouts, and he caught the pass in-bounds, so the Steelers lost some precious time off of the clock.
In 2022, Claypool's numbers dipped, as he caught 32 passes for 311 yards and a touchdown on 50 targets. At that season's trade deadline, Claypool was dealt to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a second-round draft pick. Claypool's numbers didn't improve in Chicago, where he was traded once again, this time to the Miami Dolphins. In 2023 between Chicago and Miami, Claypool recorded just eight catches for 77 yards and one touchdown on 21 targets.
But in 2024, Claypool signed on with the Bills, who have been a contending team ever since Josh Allen became the starting quarterback. It seemed like Claypool was making a strong impression on the team that offseason. That would have presented Claypool with the opportunity to silence the critics and prove he could still be a force on offense. Unfortunately, the toe injury suffered in training camp forced him to miss the entire 2024 season.
All it takes is one NFL team to give Claypool a chance. That may not happen until the start of training camps. While the Steelers do have a need at wide receiver, we can probably rule them out. But there are other teams that could be willing to take a chance on a former second-round pick.