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Chase Claypool: Everyone Was Saying Ben Roethlisberger Should've Retired After 2020

The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback maybe should've hung up his cleats a year early.

Noah Strackbein

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The Pittsburgh Steelers won 12 games in 2020, the season before Ben Roethlisberger's last. But as 2021 went on, many questioned whether the future Hall of Fame quarterback should've retired a year earlier, despite the success. 

During an appearance on I AM ATHLETE podcast, Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool didn't completely agree or disagree with that notion. When asked whether or not Roethlisberger should've played last year, Claypool said "it's tough to say."

"I think at the end of my first year, no one would've said that. But I feel like everyone's saying that as the year went on. 'Oh, he should've retired.' It's easy to say that after the fact," Claypool said. "It's tough to say. I mean, he was banged up for sure. He was fighting through a lot of stuff and he's a vet quarterback that brings a lot of intangibles to the game that no one ever will."

Claypool did see his numbers decline in his first full year as a starter, catching 59 passes for 860 yards and two touchdowns. Roethlisberger also saw a dip, throwing for 3,740 yards and 22 touchdowns compared to his 33 the year prior. 

The Steelers, and Claypool, will get their first glimpse of life without Roethlisberger this season. A year that will reveal a lot for much of Steelers Nation. 

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Noah Strackbein
NOAH STRACKBEIN

Noah is the Publisher for All Steelers, Inside the Panthers (InsideThePanthers.com) and Inside the Penguins (InsidethePenguins.com), and is the host of All Steelers Talk (YouTube.com/AllSteelersTalk). A Scranton native, Noah made his way to the Pittsburgh sports scene in 2017. Now, he's pretty much full-yinzer.

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