The Chicago Bears just cannot get out of their own way. Whether it is on or off the field, they find a new way to embarrass themselves on a weekly basis. In Week 4, they opted for one of each.
On the field, the Bears blew a 28-7 lead in the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos, losing 31-28. This could be rock bottom for the once proud franchise who failed in every facet of the game to kill the clock and ice away a victory.
That makes it 14 straight losses for the Bears, who have been terrible with Matt Eberflus as head coach. The loss wasn’t even his most embarrassing gaffe of the weekend, as he was apparently caught lying about the status of wide receiver Chase Claypool.
Claypool was a healthy scratch against the Broncos, which doesn’t come as much of a surprise. The team is looking to trade him after videos of his effort, or lack thereof, went viral in Week 1. But, Eberflus said it was Claypool’s decision to stay away from the team. That doesn’t seem to be the case, as a Bears spokesperson confirmed the team told him to stay home.
Regardless of what actually happened, Claypool’s time with the Bears is likely nearing an end. Getting anything of value in return for him should be considered a win after Chicago traded what ended up being the No. 32 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for him ahead of the 2022 deadline.
That is going to go down as one of the worst trades in NFL history as Claypool has caught 18 passes for 191 yards and one touchdown on 43 targets in 10 games. Who could want such an unproductive player in a trade?
According to Matt Lombardo of Fan Buzz, the Philadelphia Eagles are one team to keep an eye on. Lombardo shared a quote from an NFC East scout who talked to Fan Buzz.
“No one is going to pay a high price for Chase Claypool,” an NFC East scout told FanBuzz. “I don’t know which teams would even really need him. But, if you look at teams like Philadelphia or Kansas City, maybe even Detroit … Teams making championship runs could view him as a quality backup or depth piece.”
The Bears won’t get close to the value of a second-round pick in return, but something is better than nothing. With A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith entrenched as the top two wide receivers, Claypool would be fighting for a role as the No. 3 receiver behind them. Given the quality of play he showed early in his career with the Steelers, Claypool is someone who possesses some upside and could help a team in the right situation.
Competing with Olamide Zaccheus and Quez Watkins for the No. 3 spot behind Brown and Smith could be the ideal role for him. Being on a contending team with structure in place would also do him some good after all his poor habits were accentuated during his time with the Bears.
