Chase Claypool is entering a pivotal 2022 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. As a rookie in 2020, he took the world by storm after being selected in the second-round, posting nearly 900 yards and eleven total TDs in the regular season while chopping in another two scores in the playoff game. However, he took a step back in 2021, posting similar reception and yardage totals, but saw his TD drop to two on the season.
Heading into Year Three, Claypool needs to show that his 2020 struggles are past him and capitalize on the opportunity presented to him to become an extension candidate by the Steelers next season. However, those aspirations got off to a rocky start when Claypool suffered a shoulder injury shortly after training camp got underway.
Claypool initially got injured back in the end of July, suffering a shoulder injury during practice that HC Mike Tomlin deemed not serious, but did lead to him missing some time at training camp. Claypool would then return to practice in a limited participation last Tuesday capacity before sitting out practice Wednesday, as he had a setback with his shoulder ailment.
When asked if he was frustrated having to battle through two separate injuries to start training camp, Claypool was candid in his response, acknowledging the back-to-back injuries did weigh on him a little.
“Yeah, the second time for sure,” Claypool responded to the media on Tuesday prior to practice according to video provided by Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Chris Adamski’s Twitter page. “Yeah, I practiced like twice, got hurt, came back, practiced twice and got hurt so it’s like frustrating when you spend all offseason fixing those things, but I’m feeling good now.”
Having dealt with several sports injuries myself, it’s easy to understand Claypool’s frustration of putting in all that hard work this offseason to come into training camp as the best player he can be in 2022 only to be struck by the injury bug shorty upon arriving. Not only did Claypool have to deal with the initial injury, but he also had to physically and mentally overcome the setback to the same injury, causing him to miss even more time.
However, it appears as if Claypool is ready to go for Pittsburgh’s final week of training camp at Saint Vincent College. As the team prepares for their final two preseason games and continues to evaluate the QBs who are in competition for the starting job, it will be their benefit as well as Claypool’s to develop more chemistry together in the passing game as the team prepares to square off against the Cincinnati Bengals come Week 1.
