A famous movie once said, “There is nothing sadder in life than wasted talent,” and when you look at the way Chase Claypool and his career have gone to date, it’s hard not to think about the old sentiment.
Claypool came into the NFL with a lot of intrigue, skill, and hope that he could be a real playmaker in the league. By and large, it has not panned out for him.
From being drafted, to falling out of favor with his team that led to a trade, to now being inactive on game day for two weeks in a row, things seem to be trending in the wrong direction for the wide receiver — and quickly.
Let’s take a closer look at closer look at the Claypool situation and figure out how we got here.
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The Road to Inactive for Chase Claypool
Claypool’s start in the NFL seemed promising after being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. With that selection came hopes that he would be a long-time playmaker for the storied franchise.
Claypool did come out of the blocks hot when he had a statement game in Week 2 of the 2020 season, only the second game of his career, where he finished with three receptions for 88 receiving yards, including an 84-yard touchdown. That game was viewed as the hopeful start to something big for Claypool and the Steelers’ offense.
However, his time with the organization would be shorter than many expected. Claypool would only last a little over two seasons in Pittsburgh before being traded to the Chicago Bears on Nov. 1, 2022, in exchange for a second-round pick.
It was felt that a fresh start was needed for all parties involved as things were tense behind the scenes between the player and the team.
With a fresh start in a struggling Chicago offense that may be able to maximize his abilities, hope was once again the word being thrown around when talking about Claypool. However, that hope would be even shorter-lived than his time in Pittsburgh.
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Claypool fell out of favor with the Bears organization within the first three games of the 2023 NFL season. In Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers, Claypool was criticized for what many believed to be poor effort throughout the game. By Week 4, he expressed frustration and stated that he did not believe that the team had been putting him in a position to succeed.
The Bears responded swiftly and decisively to the criticism and have made Claypool inactive since, including tonight’s matchup against the Washington Commanders as a result.
What’s Next for Claypool?
It seems that a solution to the problem is going to be made sooner rather than later for Claypool in Chicago. The team has opted to, in essence, remove him as a member of the team before deciding what the next best course of action is.
It is reported that Chicago is trying to trade him. But with no real suitors at this time, it looks as if Claypool will be outright released here soon. A far fall from grace for a once-promising early-round draft pick.