NFL analyst Kevin Clark, one of ESPN’s newest additions from The Ringer, had Steelers ESPN writer Brooke Pryor on his This is Football podcast. The two of them, along with Bears analyst and son of Walter Payton, Jarrett Payton, discussed the Chase Claypool trade. Pryor thinks the trade was addition by subtraction and a key reason for the Steelers being where they are today.
“One of the biggest reasons that the Steelers were better in the second half of the year and went from 2-6 to 7-2 after the bye was the Chase Claypool trade,” Pryor said. “That was an addition by subtraction because you take that guy out of the locker room, a guy who was vocally frustrated after games, ‘Why are you not throwing the go ball?’’ Well, because when you did, you didn’t catch it or there was an interception when you should’ve had it. I think that for the Steelers, they had a lot of internal discord and a lot of that was from the frustration of Claypool.”
She thinks that trade set the Steelers’ future in motion.
“That one trade kind of set in motion for this team to be in a really good position to make some noise in the AFC and go back to the playoffs,” Pryor said.
Claypool had a breakout rookie season, with 873 receiving yards and 11 total touchdowns. He looked like he could be the next great Steelers wide receiver, but he fell off with just two touchdowns in 2021 as he struggled to high point balls. He lost his ability as a deep threat, and after a slow start in 2022 he was sent to the Bears for a second-round pick.
There were always rumblings that Claypool was an issue in the locker room, with Josina Anderson reporting at the time of the trade that it had been in the works for weeks due to Claypool being a distraction. Pryor delves deeper, claiming internal discord in the locker room started with Claypool.
It’s pretty ludicrous that the guy who dove horizontally instead of vertically every time the ball was thrown up to him was whining about not getting deep balls, but that’s why the Steelers traded him. He just wasn’t all that impactful on the field and that carried over to Chicago. The Bears didn’t win a single game after acquiring Claypool.
The biggest thing you can do to get run out of town in the NFL is become a distraction in the locker room, no matter how good you are. Claypool wasn’t nearly good enough to be as vocal about his issues as he seemingly was. At the time, getting a second-round pick from Chicago for him seemed like a steal. After the Bears finished with the worst record in the NFL, it seemed even more. Now with Joey Porter Jr. selected with the pick and the team confident in his abilities, it looks like grand larceny.
Maybe Claypool will look good for the Bears this season, but he’s likely going to be the team’s No. 3 wide receiver, and Payton noted that Claypool hasn’t really been on the field much during preseason, although injuries played a factor. There’s not a lot of hope for his future in Chicago with his contract expiring at the end of the season. If his locker room issues from Pittsburgh carry over to Chicago, it’s a near-lock he’ll be gone at least after the season.
The Steelers regrouped, and the addition of Allen Robinson II this offseason fills the gap in the slot that Pittsburgh had after moving Claypool. While Claypool wasn’t particularly good in the role, he was a better option than the combination of Steven Sims Jr. and Gunner Olszewski but getting him out of the locker room probably did end up making the team better. And the offensive weapons right now are significantly better than they were at the start of last season with Claypool, as Robinson is a steady veteran presence and WR George Pickens is looking to break out.
It’s going to be a lot of fun to watch this Steelers offense grow and develop, and it sounds like they’re much better off with Claypool out of the picture.
Watch the full This Is Football episode below:
