Former Pittsburgh Steelers and current Chicago Bears wide receiver Chase Claypool could find himself on his third team in two seasons if his current effort level doesn’t improve, according to NFL insider Jay Glazer.
“They were not happy with his effort last week, you see him miss blocking assignments. It was really bad. After the game, so much so, he went upstairs and apologized to the GM Ryan Poles, apologized to the head coach, other coaches, other players as well. So, he is active today. They expect him to have his normal role, but they have put him on notice. ‘If you have this kind of effort again, you will then be deactivated and possibly even shipped out of town again,” Glazer said on Fox NFL Kickoff.
There were numerous clips of Claypool’s lack of effort on Sunday, a game where he didn’t register a single reception in a 38-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers. There was talk that Claypool would be inactive for Chicago’s Week 2 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But he got a helmet, and we’ll see if he can make an impact for the Bears.
Chicago has still yet to win a game since acquiring Claypool ahead of last year’s NFL Trade Deadline, a move that’s looked better and better for the Steelers with each passing day. The Steelers acquired what ended up being the first pick in the second round which turned into CB Joey Porter Jr., who played seven snaps in Pittsburgh’s Week One loss but could get a bigger role as the year goes on.
Claypool is a talented receiver who fell off hard after an impressive rookie season that saw him finish the year with 11 total touchdowns, but his numbers fell a bit in his second season, with his yardage dropping from 873 yards to 860 yards with just two total touchdowns. He had just 14 receptions for 140 yards in seven games after being traded to Chicago last season, a disappointing output that the Bears surely want to see improve. His physical ability is still there if he can harness it, and he could end up being a productive receiver for the Bears if he wants to and is given the opportunity.
He’ll have the chance to show it today, but if his effort level falls behind or he remains unproductive, it sounds like Chicago won’t hesitate to move the receiver with his contract up at the end of the year. At this point, another change of scenery might end up being best for both parties.
