Chase Claypool Is Having A Historic Rookie Season
There were 10 wide receivers taken before former Notre Dame star Chase Claypool in the 2020 NFL Draft. Through the first 10 games of his career, you'd be hard pressed to find any one of those receivers that is out-playing Claypool.
The rookie wideout has began his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers the same way he ended his career with the Fighting Irish, and that is scoring touchdowns .... and lots of them.
Claypool hauled in nine receiving touchdowns in the final five games of his Notre Dame career, and he's having a historic touchdown season for the Steelers.
Claypool scored on a 31-yard reception during the Steelers 27-3 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, and it was the 10th time this season that the standout rookie got into the end zone for the now 10-0 Steelers.
Claypool finished the game with four catches for 58 yards. He now has 39 catches for 559 yards and eight touchdowns in the pass game. Claypool has also rushed for two touchdowns, giving him 10 total for the season.
Those 10 touchdowns mark just the fourth time in NFL history that a rookie wideout has scored that many times in his first 10 career games. It is the first time it happened since 1960, which means no rookie receiver has accomplished that feat in the Super Bowl era.
Claypool is in contention with Minnesota Vikings rookie Justin Jefferson (45 catches, 848 yards, 4 TD) and Cincinnati Bengals rookie pass catcher Tee Higgins (43 catches, 629 yards, 4 TD) for top receiver honors.
While Higgins and Jefferson have more catches and yards, Claypool has the same number of receiving touchdowns (8) as that duo has combined, and his two rushing touchdowns puts him over the top.
Claypool is currently on pace for 56 catches, 894 receiving yards and 13 receiving touchdowns (16 total).
The Steelers all-time record for catches by a rookie receiver is 61, which was set by Troy Edwards back in 1999. The best single-season rookie mark for receiving yards is 917 yards, set by current teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster in 2017.
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