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This upcoming off-season for the Pittsburgh Steelers is going to be an interesting one to say the least. This is the first season in 18 years that the organization will not be riding with future Hall of Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger under center after he announced his retirement last week. That in itself is going to be a dramatic change for not only the organization, but the fan base as well. Whether or not it is through the draft or not, General Manager Kevin Colbert is going to put his sole focus on finding the next great quarterback for this historic franchise for what will be Colbert’s final off-season in that position.
Not only will Roethlisberger not be putting on the black and gold anymore, there have been reports that star WR JuJu Smith-Schuster is on his way out of Pittsburgh as well after hearing his name being thrown around as a potential landing spot for a few other contenders around the league. If that is the case, which I believe it to be, then this potential Steelers’ offense is going to have a whole different look in 2022, with hopes of many other guys stepping up with that “Next Man Up” mentality that Head Coach Mike Tomlin preaches daily.
Obviously, the organization has made it clear that their intention is to utilize Najee Harris as the focal point of this offense in an attempt to get back to their run-first mentality. This past season was a good start, as Harris was just named to his first Pro Bowl in his rookie season and did so while setting the single-season rookie rushing record in Steelers history of 1,085 total yards surpassing Steelers legend, Franco Harris‘ record of 1,055 yards set back in 1972. Although it was just one season, the Steelers hope to work on upgrading their offensive line this coming off-season as well, which would enable Harris to find success on a consistent level for years to come.
While the rushing game will continue to remain the focal point, this team still has legitimate weapons in the passing game that are going to be utilized as well. Diontae Johnson is coming off his best season yet in what was just his 3rd NFL season. He posted his first 1,000-yard season (1,161 to be exact) and scored 8 touchdowns which was good enough to be named to his first Pro Bowl as well. There is an immense amount of excitement in Johnson’s overall progression even from just these past two seasons and I think the organization has confidence in him being the team’s number one receiver for years to come — a nice weapon for whoever ends up behind center in 2022.
Another playmaker lined up on the outside is Chase Claypool. His situation is a bit different as I think more was expected of him after having a breakout rookie season back in 2020. During that time, Claypool caught 62 receptions for 873 yards which was comparable to his 2021 stats of 59 receptions for just 860 yards. What differentiated between both his rookie and sophomore seasons, was the touchdown totals for each year. Claypool was responsible for 11 touchdowns his rookie season, nine of those were through the air and two were rushing scores. He was looked at as the deep threat in this offense back in 2020 for his ability to create separation and was named a part of the All-Rookie team by Pro Football Writers of America. As you can tell, his rookie season was a huge success.
Unfortunately, not the same can be said about last year’s efforts. Although the overall stats were comparable, Claypool looked like a completely different receiver than what we witnessed in his first season, and not in a good way. Not only did his touchdown rate take an extreme dip, going from 11 total scores in 2020 to just two last season, but the way he was utilized within this offense did not suit his skill set very well. Claypool was responsible for just one 100-yard game this season and failed to be the deep threat that the organization witnessed in his rookie campaign. He seemed to struggle in those one on one situations that he thrived in during 2020, not being able to come down with the ball as consistently as he did before. This is the complete opposite of what the organization had expected.
That being said, with Smith-Schuster set to hit the free agent market, the Steelers are losing depth at the wide receiver position and a lot more is going to be expected of Claypool in 2022. The Steelers’ quarterback situation is going to have a lot to do with his success, but a guy with the talent and build like Claypool should be able to thrive no matter the circumstances, that’s why expectations are at an all time high for the organization and Steeler Nation.
Do you think Chase Claypool will have a bounce back season in 2022? Comment below!
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