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Oct 9, 2022; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool (11) against the Buffalo Bills in the fourth quarter at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Former Steelers Second-Round WR Attempting NFL Comeback

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Jack Markowski | Last updated Feb 1, 2026 9:00 AM ET

A former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver is looking to work his way back into the NFL after not playing a regular season game since the 2023 campaign.

Chase Claypool, who Pittsburgh selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, posted a video of himself running routes on Instagram with the caption, "lovely to be back".

In July 2025, Claypool also went into depth in an Instagram post on the season-ending injury he suffered during training camp with the Buffalo Bills in 2024 while also stating that he felt "the strongest and fastest I've ever been."

“I tore a ligament and a tendon in my second toe and have been rehabbing, working out, and recovering every day for the past year I am back to being the strongest and fastest I’ve ever been and couldn’t be more excited to step back out on the field and let my actions speak for themselves,” Claypool wrote. “I deeply and truly believe that the pieces will align, and I will work my way into the position to show off what’s been suppressed these last two years.”

Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Claypool's Steelers Tenure

After logging 2,159 yards and 19 touchdowns on 150 catches during his collegiate career at Notre Dame, the Steelers selected him Claypool No. 49 overall in 2020.

His rookie campaign was his most productive, finishing the year with 873 yards and nine touchdowns across 62 receptions in 16 games. During that stretch, Claypool became the first rookie in franchise history to reach the end zone four times in a single game in Pittsburgh's Week 5 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. He also scored two touchdowns in the team's Wild Card round loss to the Cleveland Browns.

In 2021, Claypool posted 860 yards and two scores on 59 catches while appearing in 15 contests for the Steelers.

He opened the 2022 season with 311 yards and one touchdown over eight games with Pittsburgh before being traded to the Chicago Bears at that year's deadline for a 2023 second-round pick, which was eventually used on Joey Porter Jr.

Claypool recorded just 191 yards and one touchdown in 10 total contests for Chicago. He was later dealt to the Miami Dolphins in October 2023 and logged 26 yards for them before reaching free agency the following offseason, where he signed with the Bills.

Should Claypool Return to the Steelers?

Pittsburgh does need wide receiver help, as DK Metcalf, Roman Wilson and Ben Skowronek are the only players at the position from this past season under contract for 2026.

Claypool's tenure with the Steelers didn't exactly end on a good note, and there have been questions about his effort level, but he did seem to turn some heads with the Bills in training camp two years ago and clearly has the talent necessary to play in the NFL.

He hasn't played in a game in over two years at this point, though, and it feels like a pretty safe bet that a return to the Steelers isn't in the cards, even as a camp body.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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