Ryan Clark Blasts Chase Claypool for Selfishness on Steelers Final Drive
Former Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl champion Ryan Clark wasn't having Chase Claypool's excuse for why he celebrated a first down on the team's final drive against the Minnesota Vikings.
With 36 seconds remaining and down 36-28, Claypool caught a first down pass and celebrated, taking roughly 10 seconds off the clock before the Steelers were able to spike the ball.
After the game, Claypool said Trai Turner knocking the ball out of his hands caused the runoff, not his celebration.
"[The ref] ran down the field to come get the ball. The ball got knocked out of my hands. That's what costed us time," Claypool said. "But I definitely do have to be better. I knew the situation. I knew I was near the hash, I knew the ball gets placed on the hash. I got to be better. The ball shouldn't be knocked out of my hands."
Clark appeared on ESPN's Get Up and blasted Claypool's selfishness in the moment.
"Chase Claypool is as mentally and emotionally underdeveloped as he is physically overdeveloped," Clark said. "This is a dude that has all the things you need from a physical standpoint to be a superstar wide receiver. He has a remedial level mental understanding of what it is to be a football player. Of what it is a good teammate. Of what it is to be a winner."
Clark continued, saying Claypool is mored focused on his own self than the success of the team.
"After he got the first down, he did my thing," Clark continued. "At that point it's not my thing, it's about our thing."
Clark didn't stop there, highlighting Claypool's blame of Turner as the reason for the lost time. The former safety said the receiver's mindset is why the Steelers are sinking and the blame in the final minute needs to be put on Claypool.
"That's what's wrong with this team. No accountability. No thumbs pointing at me to say 'I'm the reason,'" Clark said. "Well, I'm going to tell him, Chase Claypool, that's on you. That's your problem. Just like the personal foul in the first quarter. Just like the personal foul late in the game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He only cares about himself and that self-centeredness is part of what's bringing the Pittsburgh Steelers team and the organization down."
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