Former Pittsburgh Steelers and current Chicago Bears WR Chase Claypool will be active for today’s Week Two game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Sunday morning that Claypool will play.
The question over his status comes off the heels of Claypool’s ugly Week One performance. He failed to catch a pass and was criticized for lazily blocking as the Bears were shelled by the Green Bay Packers 38-17.
Earlier in the week, Bears’ head coach Matt Eberflus hinted Claypool would not dress after he told reporters they were looking “at all possibilities” when pressed about Claypool’s status.
According to The Athletic’s Diana Russini, Claypool’s teammate WR D.J. Moore said Claypool knew his effort wasn’t good enough and he is expected to correct those mistakes today.
Traded ahead of the 2022 deadline, Pittsburgh sent Claypool to Chicago for a 2023 second round pick. That ultimately turned into the 32nd overall selection of April’s draft, which the Steelers used to draft CB Joey Porter Jr. After acquiring Claypool last year, the Bears did not win a game with him. He did little to help the team, ending the year with just 14 receptions for 140 yards and zero touchdowns.
Chicago was hopeful a full offseason would help Claypool settle into the Bears’ offense. But he was plagued by minor injuries that limited his playing time, reportedly frustrating those in the Bears’ front office. Ahead of Week One, Claypool called the season “the biggest of his life” as he entered the final year of his rookie contract. Though he’ll play today, his season hasn’t gotten off to the start he or the team envisioned.
Drafted in the second round of the 2020 draft, Claypool had an excellent rookie season, ending it with nine touchdowns, including a four touchdown performance against the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s been all downhill from there, struggling to win vertically before the Steelers moved him to the slot with an equal lack of success.
Chicago and Tampa Bay kickoff today at 1 PM/EST.
