Notre Dame football: Chase Claypool could earn 1st Pro Bowl nod in 2022
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football program has produced elite players in recent years, and in 2022, the star wideout could be an NFL Pro Bowler for the first time.
For years, Chase Claypool was a dynamic wide receiver for the Notre Dame football program, racking up nearly 1,700 yards across his final two seasons in South Bend. Due to his incredible production, and outstanding skill set, Claypool was drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
After an outstanding rookie campaign, Claypool was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team, after scoring 11 touchdowns in Year 1. Claypool caught nine touchdowns and ran two in, all the while becoming a sparkplug for the Steelers’ offense.
In 2021, he took on an even bigger role, starting twice as many games as he did as a rookie, and nearly had 900 yards receiving. It has been an outstanding two-year run for Claypool in Pittsburgh, and now, he appears ready to take the next step forward.
Notre Dame football star to take over as WR1 in Pittsburgh
This offseason, the Steelers traded away JuJu Smith-Schuster to the Kansas City Chiefs, clearing the way for Claypool to assume WR1 duties in the Steel City. The Steelers are in a bit of a rebuild right now, as Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season, and it is still unclear who their starting quarterback will be in Week 1.
Whoever it is, they will have an incredible target in Claypool, who could be entering his first Pro Bowl season. You would expect a player of his caliber to see his targets and receptions increase, while also putting together his first 1,000-yard campaign.
Claypool took advantage of his opportunities with the Notre Dame football program and has hit the ground running at the next level. The 2022 season may be a down one for the Steelers franchise as a whole as they move on from Big Ben, but for Claypool, this has the potential to be his best season yet.