Chase Claypool had a golden opportunity in front of him. He went from a team stacked with receivers where he wouldn’t get many targets to a team in desperate need of one. The Chicago Bears believed in him enough to send a 2nd round pick to Pittsburgh. In the months since that deal happened, it’s been nothing but headaches. Claypool got injured a few games into his tenure last season and didn’t play particularly well. This season, he showed little interest in blocking, has four catches on 14 targets, and put the cherry on top by calling out the coaches for not using him properly.
It appears the Bears have seen enough. Claypool was deactivated on Sunday in favor of Equanimeous St. Brown, the latest blow to his hopes of landing a lucrative contract extension. Then, just to rub salt in the wound, Jordan Schultz of The Score reported that GM Ryan Poles is shopping the receiver for a late round pick. The organization clearly recognizes they’ve made a big mistake and are already moving on after less than a year together. It’s hard to blame them.
Bears are eating the L on Chase Claypool.
There is no denying Poles deserves criticism for the trade. His desire to get Justin Fields another weapon was understandable. However, his pro scouting department let him down. It was obvious the Steelers were having problems with Claypool long before he fell out of favor. Many questioned his commitment to the game. He didn’t work hard enough. There were maturity issues. If Mike Tomlin couldn’t fix that, it’s hard to understand how Poles thought Matt Eberflus could. Now, the Bears are paying the price.
It was a bad trade. Period. Thankfully the GM is smart enough to realize a lost cause when he sees it.. His willingness to move on this fast demonstrates his ability to admit he made a mistake. Many is his position would try to stretch the process out, hoping the player gets things figured out. That won’t be the case with Chase Claypool. For all his incredible talent, he’s a headcase. Players like him always underachieve in the NFL. Let him be a problem for somebody else.
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