The Chase Claypool situation seems destined to end with a move out of Chicago. The Bears may not be able to find a trade partner for the disgruntled wideout, however, and he may wind up on the waiver wire as a result.
Since asking Claypool to remain away from the team in Week 4, the Bears have been seeking a deal which will send him elsewhere. No takers have emerged yet, and the 25-year-old will not take part in Chicago’s contest against Washington Thursday. That decision is expected by personnel around the league to soon be followed by Claypool being waived, as noted by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
With less than four years of accrued time in the league, the former second-rounder would not be able to immediately hit free agency as is the case with vested veterans. Fowler adds that the Bears may still be able to land a late-round pick in a swap for Claypool, whose value is obviously at a low point. The 25-year-old publicly criticized Chicago’s offense prior to being made a healthy scratch this past Sunday, and his tenure in the Windy City has not gone according to plan. Claypool has averaged fewer than two catches and just over 19 yards per game across 10 contests in Chicago.
The Steelers dealt the Notre Dame alum to the Bears last season as part of the latter team’s trade-deadline efforts to add to their passing attack. That goal has since included the D.J. Moore acquisition as part of the deal involving the first overall pick in the 2023 draft, but the Bears have still struggled to produce through the air this season (215 passing yards per game). Parting ways with Claypool will likely not make a noticeable impact on that average.
The latter is set to hit free agency in March, so the following weeks and months will go a long way in determining his value on the open market. Claypool’s underwhelming Steelers exit, which seems destined to be followed by a similar one with the Bears, will no doubt give many teams pause when considering a waiver claim if his situation reaches that point. If he were to go unclaimed, Claypool would be free to sign with any team for the rest of the campaign.
More must-reads: