The Steelers trading for Justin Fields has been one of the biggest shocks this offseason. Omar Khan didn’t hesitate to do everything he could to improve the quarterback room, and it’s been apparent since he took over for Kevin Colbert that he’ll be aggressive if he has to. He’s also willing to wait and take the absolute best deal possible, as the Chicago Bears have to know all too well at this point.
One of Khan’s first moves that truly showed how different he was going to be from Colbert was trading Chase Claypool for a second-round pick during the middle of the 2022 season. At the time, the trade was viewed as highway robbery by Khan. Now, it looks even better than the Louisiana Purchase. Claypool flamed out with the Bears fairly quickly and, after an even briefer stint with the Dolphins, is seemingly on his way out of the league. However, that doesn’t mean he’s out of football, as he could be headed to the CFL.
Velus Jones Jr., currently a wide receiver for the Bears, posted to his Instagram story today showing himself and a group of men working out at a football field. Included in that group were both Fields and Claypool. It seems that the three, who were all in Chicago together, were working out and getting some off-season work in together.
While this might set off red flags about Fields for many fans who don’t have fond memories of Claypool, it is encouraging to see that he is putting work in to be better. He’s familiar with both Jones Jr. and Claypool, and perhaps Claypool is even giving him some tips on how best to succeed in Pittsburgh. While Claypool had his share of boneheaded moments with the Steelers, sometimes failure is the greatest teacher.
This also doesn’t mean Claypool is returning to join the Steelers. It is true that Pittsburgh’s wide receiver room has seen better days, but there are numerous options out there for Omar Khan that give the team a better chance at winning. Additionally, Russell Wilson is viewed as the clear starter at the moment, so signing Claypool to make Fields more comfortable wouldn’t make any sense.
The greatest takeaway here is that Justin Fields isn’t sitting on his hands just because Wilson is the starter. He’s working to be ready if his name is called this season. Considering how strong many of the teams in the AFC are, especially the AFC North, Pittsburgh will need Fields to be their franchise quarterback sooner rather than later if they want to compete any time soon. Let’s just hope Claypool isn’t helping him with clock management.
