Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager, Omar Khan has been making moves in his first full season in the position that have him looking like a genius. One such move was the trade of wide receiver, Chase Claypool to the Chicago Bears. The trade garnered the Steelers the first pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, which they used to snag Joey Porter Jr. Now, Claypool appears to be on a very short leash in the windy city.
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Joey Porter Jr. attending the 2023 NFL Draft, where the Steelers selected him with the 32nd overall section which was the first pick of the second round
Claypool was selected by the Steelers out of the University of Notre Dame in the second round of the 2020 Draft. His two-and-a-half seasons in Pittsburgh were inconsistent at best. As a rookie, Claypool appeared to be full of promise and fans were excited to imagine him as a face of the franchise. That first season, he caught 62 passes for 873 yards and nine touchdowns. He also was able to run for another two scores.
During his second season, he had another 860 yards, but frustration with Claypool was mounting. His increased social media presence only drew attention to his failure to score in the red zone. Fans felt like he was running his mouth a lot and not backing it up with his on-field production.
Perhaps that successful rookie season made Claypool a bit tone-deaf to the feelings towards him in Pittsburgh. How else can one explain the way he took to various platforms to bash the Steelers offensive plan, complain about his targets, and make "suggestions" such as adding live music to practices? This didn't sit well with the majority. Everyone from analysts to current and former players spoke about his need to mature.
AP
Steelers receiver George Pickens and cornerback Joey Porter Jr are providing each other stiff competition at training camp.
All of this led to a sense of relief when the Steelers decided to trade him to the Bears halfway through his third season in November of 2022. The Bears were solidly in the middle of a complete rebuild and were looking for weapons for their quarterback, Justin Fields. For their part, the Steelers had a host of new receivers who were raring to go, including then-rookie George Pickens.
Steelers Former Receiver Chase Claypool Is Looking At A Potential Pink Slip
During his first few games with Chicago in 2022, Claypool grossly underperformed. His overall playing time was limited due to a knee injury and he only played in three of the seven games left in the season. For those three games, he appeared lackluster, catching 14 of 29 targets for a mere 130 yards and no touchdowns.
It is reasonable for it to take a player a little time to get up to speed, especially when joining in midseason like Claypool did, after all, he had never worked with Fields before. However, it was more than just his on-field stats. It was also the perception of his maturity and his work ethic. At the end of the 2022 season, Claypool had a tantrum on the sideline that led Fields to say Claypool needed to keep his emotions in check.
Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Former Steelers' WR Chase Claypool let his Pittsburgh career slip through his fingers
Unfortunately, the start of the 2023 season didn't seem to bring any changes. Claypool appeared to just be going through the motions. Analyst, Kyle Brandt said it looked like he was "sleepwalking" through the first game of the year, as he was targeted twice, but didn't make either catch. He just appears like he doesn't want to be there. He could be seen out on the field appearing not to hustle or fight for the ball in contested catch situations.
The Bears organization is reportedly fed up. NFL News reporter, Dov Kleiman noted via Twitter, that Fox Sports reporter, Jay Glazer said prior to the Week 2 games, that Chicago had issued a warning to Claypool. He was told if he did not make a better effort he would either be made a "healthy inactive or even shipped out."
Wow: #Bears WR Chase Claypool was told if he continues to show lack of effort not only would he be made an healthy inactive, he might be "Shipped out", according to @JayGlazer on FOX.
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 17, 2023
Glazer adds that Chase Claypool apologized to teammates, coaches and the front office for his… https://t.co/huPVcia3Ef pic.twitter.com/sZ3ka5v4Pv
Claypool seems to have taken the warning to heart, but it is not yet clear if it is enough. The Bears played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa during Week 2 and Claypool had three catches for 36 yards and one touchdown in the 17-27 loss. He got off to a slow start, but had a huge touchdown catch during the fourth quarter to help get the Bears back in the game.
According to Fox sideline reporter, Pam Oliver, during the game, Bears Head Coach, Matt Eberflus said Claypool apologized to everyone involved with the team for his lack of effort. Eberflus also told Olver that Claypool did enough during the week prior to the game to earn the right to start. He said that he felt in his gut that he would have a good game.
While Claypool appeared more alive in Week 2 than he did during Week 1, he still looked inconsistent. His inability to fight for the ball led to an interception near the end of the game as the Bears were struggling to make something happen. Claypool also drew a holding penalty on a critical drive.
TODD ROSENBERG / GETTY IMAGES
Former Steelers WR Chase Claypool is now frustrating Bears fans in Chicago.
Even with his touchdown during the Week 2 game, the Steelers still appear to have come out on top of the Claypool trade. The Bears could have gotten a promising young receiver with that pick, but instead, they are now dealing with the maturity issues the Steelers found so frustrating.
What do you think of Claypool's performance in Chicago? Are you at all surprised by the comments regarding his effort? Do you think he is turning it around? Or do you see the Week 2 touchdown as a bit of luck? What do you expect him to do in total this season? Click to comment below.
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