Getty Bears wide receiver Chase Claypool.
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles broke his silence about wide receiver Chase Claypool‘s falling out with the team, and it sure sounds like Poles does not expect Claypool to return in any capacity to the Bears.
On ESPN 1000’s pregame show for the Bears’ October 5 matchup against the Washington Commanders, Poles expressed disappointment about how the relationship with Claypool unraveled over the first month of the 2023 season, and he took ownership of the fact that his high-value trade — a second-round pick that ended up being No. 32 overall — for the fourth-year wide receiver did not work out as intended.
“You’re always disappointed in this situation, and it’s definitely something I take ownership of,” Poles said ahead of the Thursday Night Football game. “Last year, in the situation we were in, we wanted to add another receiver to the offense, not only to help us be more productive but also to help Justin take the next step. The right thought process was there, and I feel comfortable with that. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out, and we were hoping for him to be a little bit more productive and be someone that could help us take it to the next level.”
Poles Wishes Claypool ‘All the Luck Moving Forward’
Claypool caught 4 passes for 51 yards and a touchdown on 14 targets over the first three games of 2023 but drew criticism for seemingly lacking effort on the field, both in terms of his route-running and his blocking in a scheme that demands it from its receivers. The Bears seemed to agree that Claypool was not giving them enough in Week 4, too, when they made him a healthy inactive against the Denver Broncos and told him not to attend the game.
Claypool is once again inactive for Week 5’s prime-time matchup with the Commanders and has not been present at Halas Hall — by team request — all throughout the week. While the Bears have not officially decided whether to trade or cut him, Poles signaled Claypool’s time his Chicago has run its course and wished him well “moving forward.”
“I always look at things from a player’s perspective,” Poles added. “You have a player going into his free agent year, who wants to be productive and help us, and when things aren’t going the right way, sometimes you get emotional, things don’t work out and you struggle to blend in and keep resilient and stay resilient with the rest of the crew.
“I think Chase is going to learn from this situation,” he said. “We all will, and I wish him luck moving forward throughout his career.”
Can Bears Find Low-Return Trade for Chase Claypool?
GettyBears wide receiver Chase Claypool is likely to be cut or traded in the coming days.
The Bears have continually expressed that keeping Claypool away from the team facility is “best for the team,” a sign that his presence has been so disruptive or detrimental that they don’t want him anywhere near their trying-to-rally 0-4 team. With Poles’ comments in mind, though, it is a wonder why the Bears have not just simply cut him from the roster if they feel his time in Chicago has ended.
Is it possible Poles will pull off a trade for the disgruntled receiver, though?
The Bears stand to save roughly $2 million against the salary cap when they part ways with Claypool and his soon-to-expire rookie contract, but getting a draft pick — even one as low as a seventh-rounder — would be better than nothing for a player they have already indicated will not be in their short- or long-term future plans.
The question is, after how things have gone for Claypool in both Pittsburgh and Chicago, what team would be willing to give up draft assets to add him to their roster? Surely, there is at least one team with a need at receiver willing to take a chance on Claypool, but the sloppy way in which the Bears have handled the breakdown with him tells all interested parties that he will be on the open market sooner rather than later.
Perhaps Poles can get lucky and find two teams with solid interest in Claypool, taking advantage of the one with the lower waiver priority and persuading them to send a Day 3 pick to the Bears in exchange for him, but that might be wishful thinking at this point.