Steelers legend Hines Ward calls out Chase Claypool for not having that Dawg in him

Pittsburgh Steelers legend Hines Ward expounded on why Chase Claypool got traded last year.

Despite being drafted out of Notre Dame by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chase Claypool finds himself in wide receiver purgatory with the Chicago Bears.

No doubt about it, Claypool was immensely talented coming out of Notre Dame. Pittsburgh has a great history of drafting and developing wide receiver talent, including Hines Ward out of Georgia back in the day. Ward should be a Pro Football Hall of Famer at some point down the line. While he may love what fellow Dawg George Pickens is doing for the Steelers, he was not a fan of Claypool.

Here is what Ward had to say about Claypool and probably why he is longer with the Steelers.

“Sometimes I think with Chase, it became more about Chase and less about the team. I think there’s a little more maturing level on his part. He needs to grow up a little bit.”

Pittsburgh will draft immature receivers, but if a guy is not a team player, then that is an issue.

“I love receivers who want the ball. I don’t want a receiver who don’t want the ball. But you have to do it in the confinements of the aspect of the team. It’s about the team first, and if you just keep working on your craft, it’ll eventually get better.”

Here is Ward’s entire conversation with Harrison Graham of Chat Sports’ Steelers Talk.

Keep in mind that Pittsburgh got the Bears’ second-round pick in the Claypool trade. Chicago finished with the worst record in the NFL last season and has the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.

Pittsburgh Steelers icon Hines Ward calls out Chase Claypool after his trade

What this really comes down to is this. For as long as the Steelers’ front office can identify, draft and develop wide receiver talent, Pittsburgh is always going to have the upper hand over even the most talented of wideouts. Why do receivers never get better after leaving Pittsburgh? There is something special in the sauce, and it is not ketchup. It is why the Steelers are always competitive.

Ward may have been a talented player coming out of Georgia, but he was rather position-less in college. His work ethic and team-first mentality helped him become of the greatest players in franchise history. It is why he is so revered professionally and at his alma mater. As far as how Pickens factors into all this, he may be a tad mercurial, but he does the little things to win games.

Georgia may not have thrown the ball down the field a ton during Pickens’ time in undergrad, but he made plays when his team needed him to. Whether he needed to be a possession receiver, a downfield threat or rough up a unwilling tackler on a run play, Pickens always had that Dawg inside of him. It is why his ethos matched up perfectly with Pittsburgh when others looked away.

For that reason, Pickens and Claypool will always be tied together. They were briefly Steelers teammates, but only one has a chance to play out his rookie contract in black and yellow. Should Pickett-to-Pickens become the greatest thing since french fries and coleslaw on a sandwich, Pittsburgh can get back to contending for AFC Championships and playing for Super Bowls. For now, it is a work in progress.

Ultimately, Claypool is in a good spot for him. Chicago is a massive Notre Dame town. He gets to catch passes from former Ohio State star Justin Fields. Matt Eberflus seems to be a good fit at head coach. More importantly, Luke Getsy seems to be a guy at offensive coordinator. Claypool can have success in Chicagoland, but Steelers may long for all the things that could have been.

For now, let’s see if Pickett-to-Pickens can help the Steelers climb up the AFC North standings.