The Chase Claypool trade feels like the gift that keeps on giving. First, the Pittsburgh Steelers dealt him away to the Chicago Bears for a second-round pick. That alone felt like a great return, even not knowing exactly what pick on Day Two it would be. The Bears acquired Claypool in the hopes to go on a playoff run. Instead, they lost every game of the season after making the trade and wound up with the No. 1 pick in the draft, meaning the Steelers sat at the top of the draft on Day Two.
With that pick, the Steelers selected Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr., a strong scheme fit with bloodlines Pittsburgh covets. And Chicago? Claypool contributed almost nothing in 2022 and has been hindered by injuries in 2023, briefly appearing on the Active/PUP list before being activated off it yesterday.
Knowing all that, it’s no surprise to hear Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger praise the Steelers’ wheelin’ and dealin’. And he didn’t need to wait until today to know how good of a trade it was. He appeared on 93.7 The Fan to discuss the deal.
“It’s one of the better trades in a very, very long time,” he told The Fan’s Dorin Dickerson and Adam Crowley. “I’m not just looking back in hindsight. I think we probably talked about it but the minute it happened I said, ‘Oh, Omar Khan just fleeced the Chicago Bears.'”
That was the prevailing wisdom at the time. Claypool lacked a role in Pittsburgh, attempting to become a slot receiver as George Pickens soaked up targets on the outside. After a strong rookie campaign, Claypool faded, in the news for signaling first downs in the middle of end-of-game drives, asking for music during practice, and struggling to find on-field consistency. There were also questions about his maturity. Averaging less than 10 yards per reception and just one touchdown across eight games last season, Pittsburgh dealt him to Chicago on November 1.
At the time, the deal looked to be in Pittsburgh’s favor. Fast forward to today and it definitely is.
“Obviously now it worked out so well to where you get Joey Porter Jr. with that pick as well,” Spielberger said. “It’s one of the better trades in a while.”
Not all of Khan’s trades have been as well-received. He traded for OLB Malik Reed, a poor scheme fit who was inactive by the end of the year. And though no draft capital was ultimately sent to Washington, acquiring an injured CB in William Jackson III, who never played a down for the Steelers, is a move Khan would like to have back. But the success of the Claypool deal far outweighs those other blips.
The Bears are rumored to be unhappy with Claypool’s work ethic and nagging injuries that hampered his ability to work throughout the offseason, valuable time missed in what’s supposed to be his first full year with the team. Spielberger echoed that sentiment and says there are attitude concerns.
“The things you hear is that he kind of showed up with a bit of an attitude. He is not exactly on the same page with a lot of teammates and coaching staff.”
Entering 2023, the Steelers expect Porter to be an immediate contributor and potential Day One starter. The Bears are hoping to get at least one strong season out of Claypool, though they’ve given QB Justin Fields bigger weapons like WR DJ Moore, picked up in a trade with the Carolina Panthers. A free agent after the season, Claypool’s time with the Bears could be short and this trade could look even better.
