CHARLOTTE, NC - SEPTEMBER 01: A detailed view of a Pittsburgh Steelers helmet before their game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on September 1, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)On Wednesday morning, ESPN made the interesting decision to anger Pittsburgh Steelers fans around the country.
The Worldwide Leader released a ranking of the 10 best rookies so far during the 2020 season. Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert sat at No. 1, with Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow coming in at No. 2.
Wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Tee Higgins also made the list. There was one major wide receiver absence, however, according to Steelers fans.
Rookie wide receiver Chase Claypool did not make the list of top-10 rookies. In fact, he wasn’t even mentioned in the “Just Missed” section of the article.
Of course, Steelers fans – and even former NFL players – noted the interesting decision from ESPN to omit Claypool from the list.
Chase Claypool must be in his second year https://t.co/7XwBOUmtro
— Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) November 18, 2020
The former Notre Dame wide receiver played sparingly through the first three games of the season. However, he flashed in the Steelers’ second game with an 84-yard touchdown reception.
He eventually gave the Steelers coaching staff no chance but to let him see the field. Since Week 4 when he started seeing the field more, Claypool has racked up over 350 receiving yards.
He’s averaging 58.5 yards per game over that stretch and currently sits tied for No. 6 in the league with seven touchdown receptions.
The second-round pick leads all rookie wide receivers in touchdown receptions. He also leads all rookies in overall touchdowns, with two more than Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson.
