The Chicago Bears have traded wide receiver Chase Claypool to the Miami Dolphins, coming less than a year after Chicago acquired him from the Pittsburgh Steelers at the 2022 NFL trade deadline.
Claypool, age 25, originally landed in Chicago with the hope it would be a fresh start for the 6-foot-4 wideout. The Bears took a massive gamble in 2022, trading their second-round pick for the young receiver that Pittsburgh badly wanted to move on from.
- Chase Claypool stats (career): 171 receptions, 2,235 receiving yards, 13 touchdowns in 49 games
However, Chicago’s bet on Claypool backfired. The second-round pick became the 32nd overall selection, providing Pittsburgh with cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Meanwhile, Clayppol managed to compile just 140 receiving yards in his first four games with the Bears last year.
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Things never improved this season. The Bears’ coaching staff was unhappy with Claypool’s work ethic early in the summer. By Week 4, after already being reprimanded by the team for giving low effort on the field, Claypool was a healthy scratch.
As first reported by Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Bears have traded Claypool to Miami. As part of the deal, Chicago receives a 2025 sixth-round pick from the Dolphins with Miami picking up the Bears’ 2025 seventh-round pick.
After attempting to trade Claypool for over a week, the Bears finally found a deal they were comfortable with. It came just days after reports surfaced that many NFL teams thought Chicago would eventually cut Claypool. Instead, Miami scoops him up before potentially losing him to another team.
Multiple teams were interested in Claypool in preparation for a potential release. Once the 49th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, his physical tools led to him compiling 1,733 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in his first two seasons. In the two years since, he has compiled only 502 receiving yards.
There’s no immediate role for Claypool to play in the Dolphins’ offense. All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill has one of the highest target rates in the NFL and Jaylen Waddle is one of the best No. 2 receivers in football. With Miami feeding both and running the football more this year, Claypool projects to have a small role in Mike McDaniel’s offense upon his arrival.