After record-setting game, Steelers rookie WR Chase Claypool awaits next challenge

By sheer size, Chase Claypool is difficult to miss. At 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds, the rookie second-round draft pick from Notre Dame is the tallest wide receiver on the Pittsburgh Steelers roster.

His long stride, 80-inch wingspan and 4.42 speed also make him impossible to ignore on the football field. That was true before Claypool’s record-setting day last Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Still, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger thought it was important to offer a reminder to Claypool after his four-touchdown performance in a 38-29 victory.

“The thing I told him after the game is he isn’t going to be able to sneak up on anybody,” Roethlisberger said. “So how is he going to rise to the occasion now that people are going to be watching him?”

The Steelers and Claypool will see what the 22-year-old pass catcher can do for an encore Sunday against the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field in a game that will have implications on the AFC North race. The Steelers, off to their best start since 1979, are 4-0. The Browns, winners of four in a row, are 4-1 for the first time since 1994.

Claypool experienced his NFL awakening against the Eagles by catching seven passes for 110 yards and three touchdowns, including a 35-yard insurance score with less than three minutes remaining. He also scored a fourth touchdown on a jet sweep, becoming the third rookie in NFL history to score four times in one game and the first Steelers player to do it since 1968.

“It’s an achievement I’ll remember,” said Claypool, who was named AFC offensive player of the week, “but it doesn’t affect my mindset going into the next game. I’ll enjoy it for a little bit, but then focus on what you’re doing and that’s getting ready for the Browns.”

If Claypool didn’t capture the Browns’ attention before last weekend, he certainly has it now.

“That’s a huge benefit to their offense to have a young player that can come in there and be big, physical and make plays on the ball,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. “To couple him with the other weapons they have is a very big advantage for them.”

After beginning the season as an understudy to starter JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson and James Washington, Claypool gained increased playing time against Houston and Philadelphia, playing 61 and 52 offensive snaps, respectively. Part of that was attributed to injuries by Johnson, who left the game against the Texans with a concussion and injured his back in the first quarter against the Eagles.

Based on what Claypool did against the Eagles, he’s no longer playing second fiddle to anyone in his position group. Although his 13 receptions are tied for fifth on the team, he has a team-high 261 receiving yards, which translates into an average of 20.1 yards per catch that is tied for 12^th in the NFL.

“From the standpoint of a young guy, mentally and physically being able to handle it, that is what he’s been able to do,” offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner said. “That has given him a lot of reps and a lot of confidence and a lot of opportunity with Ben in a short period of time.

“Sometimes reps get sparse, and you can’t always get some of the young guys as many reps as you would like, especially without the offseason.”

The lack of offseason workouts because of the coronavirus pandemic and the elimination of the entire preseason schedule didn’t hinder Claypool’s development. In fact, it may have enhanced it.

“The urgency increases when you get ready for a regular-season game,” Claypool said. “I knew I had to have the playbook down before that first game. That caused me to study more.”

While he plays a position known for its share of divas — see: Brown, Antonio — Claypool vows not to let his early NFL success get to his head.

“Confidence definitely builds with games like that, but I’m not trying to act different because of my performance,” he said. “I think that is when you stop being humble. I’m trying to stay the same as I’ve always been.”

As much as Claypool might not seek extra attention off the field, he is sure to find it for those three hours on Sunday afternoons. Thanks to the way he shredded the Eagles secondary, Claypool can expect to draw extra coverage from defensive backs in the future, starting with the matchup this weekend against the Browns.

“There might be a safety creeping over to my side or a corner might follow me,” Claypool said. “But it opens things for other people as well. I’m not too worried about it.”