The Pittsburgh Steelers will be in an unfamiliar situation heading into the 2022 NFL season without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who announced his retirement at the end of last season.
They made a number of moves this offseason to shore up the position, signing veteran quarterback Mitch Trubisky as well as drafting Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
If reports from Steelers beat reporter Dale Lolle are any indication, Trubisky will almost certainly be the starting quarterback heading into next season.
Regardless of who is starting, it will take some adjustment for the rest of the Steelers offense to not have Roethlisberger at the helm next year. Despite this, Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool still expects to thrive in the Steelers offense next season.
He discussed his expectations for himself heading into next season on the “I Am Athlete” podcast and said that he expects to have a career year in 2022.
“I’m going to say, my second year, I was a better player than I was my first year,” said Claypool. “The plays just didn’t work out, right? Some of the plays just didn’t go my way. I didn’t make some plays I need to make. But as a football player, understanding the game, knowing what to do, knowing where to be, I was better. So I’m going to be better this year.”
Claypool then went on to make an extremely bold claim, calling himself a top-three receiver in the NFL despite his number thus far saying otherwise.
“And just like you said, understanding I’m not normal — I feel that way when I’m on the field. I know for a fact I am not like the rest of the guys in the NFL. I know I’m a top-five receiver. I know I’m a top-three receiver.”
When asked to give a prediction regarding his stats for next season, he said that he is expecting 1,300 yards and 10-plus touchdowns. This is an extremely lofty goal and statement from Claypool, who recorded 860 receiving yards and two touchdowns last year.
He is certainly a promising wide receiver, and confidence is key for any player to have in their sport. That being said, Claypool may want to wait to make a statement that bold until his play is at a consistently elite level, which he has not shown to this point.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.