The Chicago Bears have been working diligently to upgrade the offense around quarterback Justin Fields. The first move that general manager Ryan Poles made was acquiring wide receiver Chase Claypool from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The price was steep, as the Bears traded what ended up being the No. 32 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to Pittsburgh for Claypool. Thus far, their return on investment has not been positive.
In seven games in Chicago last season, Claypool caught only 14 passes for 140 yards. The Bears’ passing offense was the least productive in the league, so it isn’t too surprising that Claypool struggled to produce statistics.
With a full offseason on the roster, there was certainly optimism that Claypool could develop some chemistry with Fields and become a downfield weapon for him. Unfortunately, that has not been the case as the Notre Dame product has struggled with injuries.
Claypool has not been taking part in practices the last few weeks as he has been sidelined with an undisclosed injury. The first day of mandatory minicamp was Tuesday for the Bears and it was more of the same.
The only work that Claypool did was off to the side with the training staff. Head coach Matt Eberflus provided an update on the situation and it wasn’t overly encouraging.
“He’s dealing with a few things, working with the training staff,” Eberflus said on June 13. “Just a few minor things he’s working with. He’s not in a time crunch.”
While calling it minor is certainly a relief, it is fair to be a little concerned since Claypool hasn’t been on the field at all. There are still multiple weeks until training camp gets underway, but it sounds like that will be the first time we see him on the field with his teammates this offseason.
The only real positive to Claypool being sidelined is that it has provided other players an opportunity to step into the lineup. One player who has taken full advantage is rookie wide receiver Tyler Scott.
Should Claypool be unable to stay healthy, Scott has provided the coaching staff with an interesting alternative option to consider. A fourth-round pick out of Cincinnati, Scott has been turning some heads with his downfield playmaking and could be a valuable slot weapon for the Bears during the regular season.
