The Chicago Bears hoped trading for Chase Claypool ahead of last season’s trade deadline would deliver a reliable target for young quarterback Justin Fields, with the idea of improving the team’s passing offense nearly immediately. By paying the price of parting with the 32nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, a valuable selection that delivered Joey Porter Jr. to Pittsburgh, the Bears envisioned by giving Claypool an early start integrating with the offense, that he could be up to full speed by the start of his second season in Chicago.
Only that’s not what’s happened.
Claypool didn’t receive the same target share he enjoyed in Pittsburgh, where he averaged 6.7 targets per game. Ever since arriving in Chicago, those opportunities have dwindled to where Claypool now averages just 4.3 targets per game.
Naturally, Claypool’s production has diminished too. Instead of averaging 52.4 yards per game as he did in Pittsburgh, Claypool averages just 19.1 yards per game in Chicago. He’s also seen his catch rate go from 58 percent down to 41.9 percent.
On top of the reduced production, Claypool has also faced plenty of criticism for a lack of effort on gameday. Now it’s spiraling out of control, where Claypool admits that the Bears haven’t always put him in the best spot to showcase his full skillset. The team didn’t like that suggestion, and he has since been benched to the point where he wasn’t even with the team during last week’s near victory over the Denver Broncos in what was Chicago’s best offensive output yet this season.
Now, the Bears are looking to make good on their previous threat to Claypool and are looking to either trade or release the former second-round pick. A 25-year-old receiver who stands at 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds would appear to have a ton of value as a potential red zone threat. But, as we’ve seen from Claypool in recent times, that potential isn’t being realized.
A team may very well make a small offer for Claypool, likely involving a swap of late-round picks, which is a far cry from the price the Bears paid, but other teams expect a different scenario playing out in Chicago.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, other teams around the league are expecting the Bears to end up releasing Claypool instead of finding a trade partner.
Claypool is in the final year of his rookie contract, making $2.99 million this season. If released, teams would either have the option of claiming him on waivers and assuming the balance of the remainder of his contract or gambling a bit and seeing if he goes unclaimed and signing him for a reduced rate. Or, as the Bears would prefer, any team could simply make an offer for the disgruntled pass-catcher, and Chicago will likely take any offer they can get for a player who appears to no longer be a part of the future.
Related: 4 ideal Chase Claypool trade scenarios from the Chicago Bears