The Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t the only team nursing their wounds after a tough start to the regular season.
The Chicago Bears got beat convincingly by the Green Bay Packers on Sunday 38-17. The offense for Chicago struggled like Pittsburgh did against San Francisco as QB Justin Fields looked rattled as a passer, failing to lead Chicago effectively through the air. A big part of that was due to the lack of help he had from his receiving weapons, including former Steelers WR Chase Claypool, who hasn’t made much of an impact since arriving via a trade last season.
Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus was asked Wednesday if WR Equanimeous St. Brown will replace Chase Claypool on the gameday roster after putting up a goose egg in Week One against the Green Bay Packers.
“We’re looking at all possibilities right now,” Eberflus told the media Wednesday via video from the Chicago Bears’ YouTube Channel. “I’m not going to talk about who’s going to be up or down for the game for obvious reasons. We’re looking at all things to make our team better.”
On Twitter, this compilation of Claypool’s poor effort as a receiver and blocker garnered plenty of notice and is one reason why he might not dress his next game.
Just a couple of days ago, Kyle Brandt of GMFB sent a tweet directed at Claypool, accusing him of sleepwalking out there on the field. He had two targets but failed to record a single reception. Claypool has just 14 receptions for 140 yards and zero touchdown in eight career games with Chicago, becoming less and less involved in the offense as his impact minimizes as well as his perceived effort out on the football field.
St. Brown had a decent season for Chicago in 2022, catching 21 passes for 323 yards and a touchdown in 16 games played (all starts). It was the former sixth-round pick’s first season in Chicago after spending his first three seasons in Green Bay, being more of a depth piece for the Packers.
Should Claypool end up being made a gameday inactive for the Bears, it would represent a complete fall from grace. He was traded from Pittsburgh to Chicago last season for a second-round pick, a pick that ended up being the first selection in the second round that the Steelers used to draft CB Joey Porter Jr. Claypool has been a complete non-factor for Chicago since arriving, seemingly watching his NFL career take a downward spiral after being dealt from Pittsburgh.
Chicago takes on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday at 1 PM/EST. We’ll found out 90 minutes ahead of kickoff whether or not Claypool gets a helmet.
Claypool may still have a chance to salvage his season, as well as his career, should he remain active for the Bears going forward. However, he must start capitalizing on the opportunities afforded to him as the Steelers continue to appear like they committed highway robbery after dealing him away for the value that they received.
