Despite giving up 29 unanswered points on defense in their 36-28 loss to the Minnesota Vikings yesterday, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool might deserve as much blame for that loss as anyone.
Claypool took a taunting penalty in the first half that got him benched by head coach Mike Tomlin. On the game’s final drive, he tried celebrating after a big first down, which wasted valuable time off the clock.
The Steelers wideout isn’t finding a whole lot of support – not even from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Following the loss to the Vikings, Roethlisberger indicated that it’s not his responsibility to hold players like Claypool accountable for mistakes like those.
“It’s not really my job,” Roethlisberger said, via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. “To me, that goes up to Coach Tomlin. That’s what he needs to do. That’s his job as the head coach. As the quarterback, it’s my job to help manage what we do on the field. Dealing with player issues… that’s the coach’s job, not mine.”
Roethlisberger on Claypool: "It’s not really my job. To me, that goes up to Coach Tomlin. That’s what he needs to do. That’s his job as the head coach. As the QB, it’s my job to help manage what we do on the field .. Dealing w/ player issues … that’s the coach’s job, not mine. pic.twitter.com/BFbjlrbp8V
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) December 10, 2021
That statement from Ben Roethlisberger might be a microcosm of the entire season. Things just seem to be endlessly going wrong all around them, but nobody has the willingness to call anyone out for it.
The Steelers are now 6-6-1 on the season with tough games against the Titans, Chiefs, Browns and Ravens remaining. There’s no room for error as the Steelers try to make the playoffs, let alone avoid the first losing season of the Mike Tomlin era.
Somebody in that locker room needs to step up and hold everyone accountable. Their season may depend on it.
What did you make of Roethlisberger’s comments about Chase Claypool?
The post Ben Roethlisberger Has Interesting Comment About WR Chase Claypool appeared first on The Spun.