Chase Claypool Made A Bold Promise Despite Rough Bears Start
GM Ryan Poles knew the upcoming 2023 off-season wouldn’t offer much at the wide receiver position. Free agency is devoid of any quality targets. As for the NFL draft, it should have some interesting options but no can’t-miss prospects. So he had to do something to help his Chicago Bears upgrade. He decided on a bold trade for Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Chase Claypool. Despite his up-and-down time with his former team, the 24-year-old had shown flashes of brilliance with his 6’4 frame and 4.4 speed. He had the necessary tools the Bears were looking for.
Things didn’t go as planned. Claypool got off to a slow start in his first three games, catching five passes for 32 yards. Then in the next two, it felt like he was starting to find a groove, catching seven passes for 79 yards. Then in the first half against Green Bay, an awkward tackle led to him injuring his right knee. While he finished the game, it was clear the injury was significant. He missed the next two games and only now returned to practice in a limited fashion. People are already calling the trade a bust.
That doesn’t seem to bother Claypool based on his recent comments.
“I can definitely see why they would. We traded away a top second-round pick. Very valuable. I smile because I know it was a great trade for the organization. Right now, however it may look, I don’t want to get roasted for saying something too soon like I have before, but I’m very confident the fans, organization, team will be happy.”
Chase Claypool remains confident in his abilities.
That is a good thing. It would be far more troubling if he were second-guessing himself. The truth is several factors have gone into his struggles than just him being bad. He came into a new offense midseason with little knowledge of the route-running and alignment requirements. The offense itself is run-oriented, so it’s not like they gave him many targets to make things happen. Justin Fields has averaged 20-25 pass attempts this year. The league average is 33. It’s hard to make plays when you aren’t getting many opportunities.
Then there is the knee injury that derailed the momentum he was starting to build. Yes, Chase Claypool does need to be better, but it’s not only about him. If the Bears want to maximize their investment, they must start putting Fields in a position where he can throw the ball more often. That starts with improving their pass protection which has been a liability all year. Once Fields has better pockets to work from, he should be able to find Claypool more often. The wide receiver is correct. There are reasons for optimism going into next year. He’ll have a far better grasp of the offense, better chemistry with his QB, and hopefully a line to provide time to throw.