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Chase Claypool-Justin Fields connection needs time to mesh
The Bears traded for Chase Claypool to give Justin Fields another weapon and aid in the second-year QB's development. In the former Pittsburgh WR's second game with Chicago, however, his week-over-week reps declined.
Should Bears fans be worried? The short answer is no.
When asked about the process of building chemistry with a new receiver, Fields said, per The Athletic: “It’s just going to take time. I don’t think anybody expected him to just come and just start having 100-yard games.”
In his first game as a Bear in Week 9 against Miami, Claypool played 26 snaps, caught two of six targets for 13 yards and rushed once for four yards.
On Sunday, his snap count decreased to 19. He caught one of two targets for eight yards.
In 2021, Fields spent the offseason as the backup and did not get reps with the first team until he was named starter in Week 3. Then he struggled to find chemistry with his weapons. The only receiver he initially established a strong on-field rapport with was Darnell Mooney.
As the season progressed, Fields developed chemistry with the rest of the offense.
The Bears acquired Claypool because he is a big body (6-foot-4 and 238 pounds) with good speed (4.42s 40-yard dash) who has been productive at the NFL level.
In 2020 as a rookie, the last time Pittsburgh had steady QB play, Claypool had 11 touchdowns. He is a playmaker in an offense that needs more of them, and with time, he should justify Chicago trading its second-round pick for him (currently projected at No. 37 overall).
More must-reads:
- Bears waste another superstar performance from Justin Fields
- Bears QB Justin Fields makes bold promise after Lions loss
- The 'QBs to rush for 100 yards in an NFL game' quiz
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Steelers Put On Blast By George Pickens
The Pittsburgh Steelers brought plenty of excitement to their fan base when the decision was made to trade for wide receiver DK Metcalf. The prospect of having the former Seattle Seahawks pass-catcher and George Pickens in the same offense was exhilarating. Unfortunately, the anticipation for the 2025 regular season was quickly shut down when Pickens was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in May. It now seems as if both the Steelers and the former second-round pick were ready to part ways, especially because the wideout is enjoying his time in the Lone Star State. As training camp begins to ramp up for the 32 NFL teams, a lot of eyes will be on Pickens in Dallas and how he handles his fresh start. He constantly made negative headlines in the Steel City, whether it be questionable comments to the media or inexcusable actions on the field. He has a chance to have a phenomenal year with the Cowboys, but many wonder if he is mature enough to handle the spotlight. Dallas has already started training camp, which means players and coaches alike are available to the media on certain days. Pickens spoke on Tuesday, and he was not subtle about his excitement for the Cowboys' potential on offense. In the process, he made a very direct comment that was clearly an indictment on how things are done in the Steelers' building, according to Joseph Hoyt of Dallas News. Pickens did not mince words, nor did he shy away from the fact that he believes that the Cowboys have better plays than the Steelers. The wide receiver had to deal with Matt Canada for nearly two full seasons, but Arthur Smith apparently did not impress him in 2024, either. Pickens has often been quoted refusing to accept blame for things, so it's not surprise that he is now trying to throw some serious shade at the Steelers' offensive approach. No one can argue that Canada had a good run as the Steelers' play-caller, but Pickens seemed to have a strong season in 2024 prior to suffering a hamstring injury later in the campaign. He has been very adamant about his excitement when it comes to playing for the Cowboys, but also has made it clear that he is happy to no longer be playing in Pittsburgh. Fans in the Steel City will likely never get to see Pickens at his very best while wearing the black and gold, but it appears as if the pass-catcher is very confident that he will have a stout season in the Southwest. There was recently a coaching regime change for the Cowboys, so that could be beneficial for Pickens, or potentially a bad thing depending on how things play out. Pickens has never had a certifiable stud on the opposite side of him, and he will get that with CeeDee Lamb in 2025. It's quite possible that Pickens has a breakout year, but it's evident that he still can't keep certain comments to himself. It won't be long before he is stirring up negative headlines in Dallas if something goes wrong early in the season. Steelers Are Confident That Metcalf Can Shine If both Pickens and Metcalf have successful seasons, not many will worry too much about the separate moves that Pittsburgh made during the 2025 offseason. Metcalf is a little more experienced, and should come with something to prove. If he struggles mightily for some reason, however, it might just prove that Pickens was right to rip into the Steelers' offensive playbook.
Celtics Expected to Make Another Trade After New Comments From Executive
The Boston Celtics' priorities were already apparent before making the trades they did. Because they wanted to get under the NBA's second tax apron, the Celtics were willing to downgrade some of their players to get under it. That's why the Celtics traded Jrue Holiday for Anfernee Simons and Kristaps Porzingis for Georges Niang. It is a talent downgrade, but it helped Boston achieve their goals of getting under the second apron, even if those players aren't as good as Holiday or Porzingis. However, those trades only helped Boston get closer to being under the NBA's second tax apron, but it didn't get them under completely. Boston signed a few more players this offseason, including Luka Garza, Josh Minott, and Hugo Gonzalez. While these players are on inexpensive contracts, combined, they are enough to keep the Celtics above the NBA's second tax apron. That's why Boston isn't done making moves. Spotrac's Keith Smith revealed in an interview with a Boston Celtics executive that more trades will follow because they are still above the NBA's second tax apron. “Still figuring it all out. As you’ve noted, we’re still above the second apron. We won’t finish there," the Celtics exec told Smith. As far as how the Celtics will do that is anyone's guess. They may trade Anfernee Simons for someone who makes less than him. They may trade Niang's contract to a team that can absorb it via trade exception. They may even trade Sam Hauser or Payton Pritchard to do it. Regardless, more moves are coming for the Celtics.
Caitlin Clark drops mic on Kelsey Plum's Instagram post
Caitlin Clark might be the most popular figure in women's basketball right now, but she continues to draw shots left and right, both on and off the court. The Iowa product has stayed even keeled and mostly unrattled, but that doesn't mean she won't fight back. That's why, in the light of Kelsey Plum's recent comments, she decided to take matters into her own hands and clapped back at her with a simple, six-word message. Plum shared a picture of her during the WNBA's All-Star Weekend, which showed half of a Nike logo in the background. Clark was quick to spot it and just wrote "Thank u for the Nike ad." This happened just hours after Plum seemingly took a shot at Clark and her Team Clark teammates for reportedly not getting involved in their pre-game protest. “The T-shirt was determined this morning. Not to tattletale, but zero members of Team Clark were very present for that,” Plum revealed. “That really needed to be mentioned,” Sabrina Ionescu added while both laughed. WNBA All-Stars warmed up with a T-Shirt that read 'Pay us what you owe us,' ahead of their new CBA agreement, which is expected to be signed in the offseason. WNBA players get around 9 percent of the league's revenue, and they're asking for a bigger share since most of them also have to play overseas during the offseason because of the salary disparity. Plum is the vice president of the WNBPA, so it's not surprising to see her so involved in the protest and the demands. Then again, it's hard to understand the reasoning behind the tattle telling, as not only does it show that there might not be a united front ahead of these negotiations, but it also drives attention away from where it should be.
Chicago Blackhawks Likely to Trade Goalie, Canadian Team Linked
The Chicago Blackhawks are likely to trade one of their three healthy goalies before the regular season begins, and the Edmonton Oilers are emerging as frontrunners. NHL reporter Greg Boysen began the new week off with a flurry of fresh news across the NHL. In Chicago, excitement continues about the prospects of the team, and two old stars weigh their future. Rumors about a possible additional goaltender on the Blackhawks' roster being traded also began. Postmedia's Kurt Leavins wrote that the Edmonton Oilers were having a look at trading for Arturs Silovs, but the Canucks wouldn't make the deal within their division. Arturs Silovs ended up with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Oilers are still looking for a goalie and Chicago has three to choose from That means Oilers GM Stan Bowman is still on the lookout for a goalie. Chicago might have three NHL goalies report to training camp healthy, and that might leave open trade possibilities. Meanwhile, Los Angeles Kings GM Ken Holland reported on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio that Anze Kopitar is not looking for a contract extension and will sign year to year. The 37-year-old captain, in the last year of his deal, has played his entire career with the Kings, scoring 440 goals for 1,278 points in 1,454 games. Twice the recipient of the Selke Trophy, Kopitar's future after this season is questionable. Another possible future Hall of Famer in the last year of his contract, Alex Ovechkin, told Russian media that he has he has had no discussions regarding an extension with the Capitals. no discussions regarding an extension with the Capitals. Blackhawks and Oilers supporters will be watching the situation between the goalies tightly, and we expect things to come into focus over the next few weeks.
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