Tyreek Hill reacts to Dolphins trade for Chase Claypool after injury scare
After spending Thursday night on his couch watching the Chicago Bears win their first game in 347 days, Chase Claypool has gone from a healthy-inactive for a last-place NFC North team to a member of the Miami Dolphins — a legitimate Super Bowl contending squad tied for the best record (3-1) in the AFC.
On Friday, the Dolphins announced they have agreed to terms on a trade with the Bears for Claypool and a 2025 seventh-round pick in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick.
Shortly after the move, Claypool's new teammate Tyreek Hill reacted to the deal, tipping his hat for the Dolphins' latest acquisition.
Claypool's arrival in South Beach comes at a notable time, considering Hill sustained a knee injury in the team's Week 4 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills. However, Hill was not listed on Miami's latest injury report and should be good to go for Sunday's game against the New York Giants.
"I'll be good, though. The way I operate, the way I take care of my body, I'll be back in no time," Hill said on his "It Needed To Be Said" podcast. "I'm like Wolverine, I'm like Logan, baby, I never get injured."
After bursting onto the scene as a rookie with 11 total touchdowns in 2020, Claypool has had a tumultuous run in recent seasons.
From diminishing production to a boneheaded first-down celebration in crunch time with the Pittsburgh Steelers to publically voicing frustration with his usage in the Bears offense, Claypool has been a catalyst of negativity.
In terms of his play-time moving forward, it likely won't rival the 81% snap count he played over the first three games of the season with the Bears. Miami boasts one of the league's most talented and deepest receiving corps in football. Hill, Robbie Chosen and Braxton Berrios have accounted for six receiving touchdowns this year. That's not even including Jaylen Waddle, a back-to-back 1,000-yard receiver, who appears to be back to full speed after missing time with a concussion earlier in the season.
However, fewer snaps don't necessarily mean a reduction in production for Claypool. First and foremost, his 17 YPG as a Bear this season is hardly categorized as production. Furthermore, the Dolphins own the league's No. 1 passing offense, averaging 45.5 YPG more than the next closest team. Through four games, 11 different Dolphins skill players have caught a pass while six have hauled in at least one touchdown.
With Miami's top three wide receivers each measuring in at 5-foot-10 or shorter, the 6-foot-4, 238-pound Claypool brings a different dimension to the Dolphins offense. Look for play-caller Mike McDaniel to utilize Claypool's big frame and 4.42 speed in the slot to scheme into mismatches with linebackers and safeties in coverage.
While Claypool's career has taken a rocky path of late, the Notre Dame product has all the tools to develop into a legitimate red zone threat under McDaniel's tutelage.
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