Mike Tomlin is sincerely hoping Chase Claypool’s maturation development is not a drawn-out process.
Claypool made a foolish mistake not uncommon to young players in the Steelers’ loss to the Vikings last Thursday night. As Pittsburgh tried to stage a game-tying drive with less than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter, Claypool celebrated after helping the visitors convert on a crucial fourth down. The theatrics wasted several seconds of valuable time in Minnesota territory, and the Steelers ultimately suffered a frustrating loss.
Speaking with the media Tuesday, the always outspoken Tomlin addresses the incident.
“You know, we don’t wait for stuff like that to happen to address it,” Tomlin told reporters, as transcribed by ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. “That’s built in our two-minute teachings at team development. And obviously, he had a misstep in that area. He had missteps in other areas. He’s a young guy who is growing and developing and in a lot of ways that can’t happen fast enough for him and it can’t happen fast enough for us. We’re going to continue to push that growth and development as long as he’s a willing participant. He has been, and so we’re just going to keep moving forward.”
Claypool can’t afford to hurt his team again the rest of the way. The Steelers close out their regular season with four tough matchups beginning Sunday when they host the 9-4 Tennessee Titans.
