A former wide receiver for the Chicago Bears accused the team of suppressing his talent during his time in Chicago. In 2022, the Bears traded what became the No. 32 pick in the 2023 draft to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for Chase Claypool.
General manager Ryan Poles overpaid for Claypool, hoping to give Justin Fields some help on an otherwise barren receiver corps. He appeared in 10 games and started in five during his two years in Chicago, recording 18 receptions for 191 yards and one touchdown.
Claypool took a shot at the coaching staff in 2023 when he admitted that he didn’t think the staff was putting him in a position to succeed. Soon after the comment, the Bears traded Claypool to the Miami Dolphins, where he caught four passes for 26 yards in nine games.
Claypool was released with an injury settlement from the Buffalo Bills in August last year for a toe injury and hasn’t been in the NFL since.
Did the Chicago Bears suppress Chase Claypool?
Per a post on his Instagram on Friday, Claypool made it known he intends to return to the league and said he felt like he was “suppressed” during the last two years.
“I am back to being the strongest and fastest I’ve ever been and couldn’t be more excited to step back out on the field and let my actions speak for themselves,” Claypool wrote. “I deeply and truly believe that the pieces will align, and I will work my way into the position to show off what’s been suppressed these last two years.”
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Claypool enjoyed his time in Buffalo
Claypool played for the Dolphins and Bears in the last two years, and the wide receiver appeared to take a shot at both organizations. Claypool was frustrated by the injury he suffered last year, believing that he had a good thing going for him with the Bills.
“My first season-ending injury in 18 years came at the worst possible time,” Claypool wrote. “I felt like God was playing a joke on me… Signing with Buffalo was the best thing that could’ve ever happened to me. I was the strongest, fastest, and most prepared I had ever been.
“I was playing my best football — working my way up from LAST (14th) string to taking first-team reps by camp. Most of all, I was doing it with a group of guys I truly appreciated.”
Claypool thanked Bills quarterback Josh Allen and members of head coach Sean McDermott’s staff for their support and for checking in on him last year.
Maybe the Bills will take a chance on Claypool before training camp this year. But there appears to be no love between Claypool and the Bears at this time, per the post.
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3 Comments
Surpassing more likely
If he was any good the Steelers, Bears, Miami or Buffalo would have figured out how to use him. If he ran routes as well as his mouth Buffalo would have IR’d him…not Injury settled.
Useless, all talk, looking to scam another team…