Steelers WR Chase Claypool aiming high with goal of 14 touchdowns in 2021

Chase Claypool smashed by way of his rookie ceiling in his first NFL season, and he believes he is solely scratched the floor of his potential.

Claypool spoke with NFL Community’s Andrew Siciliano and Aditi Kinkhabwala following Steelers apply Monday and set a brand new bar for himself that might place him among the many league’s prime pass-catchers in 2021. After catching 9 touchdowns in 2020, Claypool is aiming for double digits.

“We have got an additional recreation. Hopefully a sooner begin on the landing class,” Claypool stated on Monday’s Inside Coaching Camp Reside. “So I’ll say 14 touchdowns.”

With playoffs included, Claypool completed with 11 receiving touchdowns in his inaugural marketing campaign (and 13 complete scores), however reached that mark whereas being shut out of the tip zone for 5 straight weeks down the stretch of the common season. As soon as missed in favor of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson, Claypool turned a spotlight of opposing defenses on the similar time Pittsburgh misplaced its offensive mojo. It wasn’t a coincidence the Steelers misplaced three straight video games from Weeks 12-14 whereas Claypool battled by way of a scoring drought.

The rookie rebounded late, scoring as soon as in Week 17 and twice in Pittsburgh’s wild-card loss to Cleveland. He proved his lull was simply that, and never an indication of issues to come back.

Pittsburgh’s offensive regression additionally coincided with (or was straight associated to) a drop-off in effectiveness on the a part of Ben Roethlisberger, who out of the blue discovered himself mired in struggles whereas additionally combating by way of late-season fatigue following an offseason spent rehabbing a major elbow damage.

Now wholesome and refreshed, Roethlisberger returns with the objective of choosing up exactly on the level the place the Steelers peeked over their offensive cliff, however hadn’t but tumbled over the sting.

“He seems to be nice. He is placing the ball the place it must be, and that is all you may ever ask for,” Claypool stated of Roethlisberger. “I’ve by no means actually understood why individuals at all times query his arm power. I do not assume he is ever displayed in a recreation the place his arm power was a problem. His timing’s so good, even when his arm power wasn’t the place it was, his timing’s so good, he may time it as much as the place he would not should throw a bullet into a good hole.”