In his first four NFL seasons, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Chase Claypool has already been traded twice.
After both trades — from the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Bears — questions about Claypool’s work ethic, character in the locker room and what he brings to a team on and off the field have been questioned publicly.
With a fresh start — again — in Miami following a trade last week from Chicago to Miami for a swap of late-round draft picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, Claypool isn’t going to change a thing, at least regarding how he is as a teammate.
Speaking with NFL.com’s Nick Shook, Claypool stated that he knows he’s a good teammate and is going to carry himself the same way he has at his previous two spots.
“I think I just (will) be the same person I’ve been in terms of being a teammate,” Claypool said to Shook regarding who he is as a teammate as well as his work ethic. “I know I’m a good teammate. I don’t have to do anything extra to like … don’t have to do too much to try and prove that.
“Just be myself, and I’m excited about being around a new group of guys and showing them what I can do.”
Stating publicly that you’re not going to change a thing after having your work ethic and commitment to the game questioned during your time in Chicago, and then having your presence in the locker room being deemed a distraction in Pittsburgh and then Chicago — the Bears told him to stay home from two games before trading him — is just another poor example of how Claypool is carrying himself.
The 2021 season in Pittsburgh was an ugly example for Claypool after a great 2020 rookie season. That year, he infamously signaled for a first down, wasting precious time in a late comeback attempt on the road against the Minnesota Vikings, and then got into a bit of a spat with former offensive lineman Trai Turner after the play.
He also stated to reporters that maybe the Steelers should play more music in practice to try and shake things up during struggles. Then, entering the 2022 season he stated on the I Am Athlete podcast that he’s a top-three receiver in the NFL. That ultimately caused him to reportedly become a distraction in Pittsburgh’s locker room as then-rookie George Pickens emerged ahead of him, Claypool later stating to reporters that the Steelers schemed away his ability to make big plays in the offense.
One year later, it was the same song and dance in Chicago. Claypool told reporters that the Bears weren’t using him properly just weeks after he had his effort questioned repeatedly.
He gets a great fresh start in Miami though, where there are playmakers under coach Mike McDaniel, an offense that knows how to scheme open players and create splash. Claypool is a tremendous athlete and a great package of physical attributes, but sometimes he just doesn’t know how to properly word his message to the media.
On his third team in three years, Claypool better figure out a way to change his work ethic and how he carries himself as a teammate on and off the field, or he might find himself out of the NFL.
