Hopefully it’s message received for WR Chase Claypool, who struck a positive tone in a Saturday Instagram post. Shared to his nearly 600,000 followers, Claypool seemed to take responsibility for his actions in Week 14’s loss to Minnesota, vowing to be better going forward.
His caption reads:
“With adversity comes great opportunity. I will learn from my shortcomings and work my ass off for this team… it is the reason I’m here. Excited for the road ahead.”
Claypool had multiple miscues in the Vikings’ loss. He took a terrible personal foul penalty (which he was not fined for), nearly fumbled, and celebrated a first down on a running clock with less than a minute to go, screaming at teammate Trai Turner who tried to give the ball to the ref.
Throughout the week, players (including past ones) and coaches made it clear Claypool’s actions weren’t acceptable and did nothing to help the team. So it’s good to hear Claypool put out a statement like this. Of course, all that matters is what happens on the field, beginning tomorrow afternoon versus the Tennessee Titans. Claypool has underwhelmed in his sophomore season and the team is counting on him to be their big-play threat. To his credit, he made a pair of spectacular second-half catches as the Steelers tried to rally back.
Claypool is still a talented player, gifted with the height, weight, and speed you can ask for. If he can be a more selfless player and play up to his talents, his future will be bright.
