Bills’ Chase Claypool addresses falling short of expectations with Bears originally appeared in NBC Sports Chicago
Chase Claypool has quickly become an NFL player over the past two years after four relatively impressive seasons with the Steelers, who drafted him in 2020.
So much so, that the Bears traded a 2023 second-round pick to the Steelers to acquire him. But the move was quickly considered a failure on Bears GM Ryan Poles’ resume less than a year after acquiring him, when the team traded him and a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Dolphins in exchange for a sixth-round pick. round in 2025.
Now, after making his fourth Bills team in the past four seasons, Claypool understands he fell short of expectations at his last two destinations, including the Bears.
“I think it’s hard to believe in the player that you are or can be, and fall short of those expectations, especially the last two years, for sure,” Claypool said at the Bills’ OTAs. “It’s a difficult position because I know there are times when it can be frustrating if I don’t live up to my potential.
“But if it’s frustrating to the outside world, it’s even more frustrating to me. I understand where I should be. And I understand that I didn’t live up to those expectations. And that’s why I work harder and harder and harder and harder every year so that I can meet and exceed those expectations.”
Upon arriving in Chicago midway through the 2023 season, Claypool has not impressed. He played in seven games, catching 14 passes for 140 yards and zero touchdowns. Claypool was supposed to be a strong second option to Justin Fields alongside DJ Moore, but the production didn’t meet expectations.
The Bears pointed out Claypool’s deficiencies in his midseason insertion. He didn’t have much time, if any, to learn the full Luke Getsy manual. Therefore, his difficulties on the field can be justified by his lack of knowledge of the playbook and his new connection with Fields.
Excuses went out the window in Year 2. Claypool caught four passes for 51 yards and a touchdown in three games. However, when asked if the Bears were putting him in the best position to showcase his skill set, he responded “No.”
The Bears later asked him to stay away from the team to find him a new home. His production on the field, combined with his question marks in the locker room, motivated the Bears to move on from him immediately.
“I came here on the first day and talked about being on time, being respectful and working hard,” Eberflus then said. “That to me is important for every individual – whether it’s a team member, a player or a coach. That’s where we are. We feel like right now this is the best decision for us.”
“We have a standard for this. We have standards for this. And if those standards are met, then it’s okay. If it’s not, then it’s not.”
They found a home for him in Miami, where he caught just four passes in nine games. The Dolphins did not re-sign him this offseason. Instead, he landed in Buffalo with a depleted wide receiver core, highlighted by the loss of Stefon Diggs to the Texans.
Claypool joins Marquez Valdes-Scantling, KJ Hamler and rookies Xavier Johnson and Lawrence Keys in a group of wide receivers tasked with helping Josh Allen run a competitive offense the NFL is accustomed to seeing in Buffalo.
Head coach Sean McDermott expressed his pleasure in working with Claypool so far this offseason.
“[Claypool’s] very focused, he’s working hard day in and day out,” McDermott said. “…Very impressed with his day to day approach, true professional, high character, intelligent player, and he’s been a good addition to our team.”
Claypool was widely criticized for his performance and character while in Chicago. During the early stages of his short tenure, Claypool had an outburst behind the scenes, which required Fields to calm his new teammate down. Considering the Bears offered a second-round pick for his services, his presence didn’t sit well with Bears fans.
The Bears’ request for Claypool to remain away from the team was also quite indicative of how the organization felt about his presence. His team-forced hiatus lasted just four days before the front office traded him to the Dolphins.
Claypool admitted that he feels his online criticism of him is wrong. On the contrary, he said he is not out to prove anyone wrong, regardless of their opinion of him. He told the media that the only opinions that matter to him are those of his players and coaches.
“It’s frustrating [to be characterized a certain way online], especially when it’s so far from the truth,” Claypool said. … But I’m not here to prove that I’m not what they say I am, I’m just here to be who I am and be a part of the team. I’m not trying to prove anyone right or wrong, I’m just being who I am. It doesn’t matter what the outside world says, as long as my teammates know the kind of guy I am, and the coaches know what kind of guy I am.”
