The Chase Claypool state of affairs in Chicago has moved to some extent the place the group will put together for its Week 5 sport with out him. The disgruntled broad receiver won’t be within the constructing forward of the Bears’ preparations for his or her Commanders tilt, Matt Eberflus mentioned Monday.
Eberflus’ replace (courtesy of ESPN 1000’s David Kaplan) gives a unique stance in comparison with Sunday when the second-year head coach mentioned the 2022 commerce acquisition is predicted to stay with the group going ahead. A number of hours later, it appears to be like like a separation is imminent.
These standoffs don’t essentially imply the tip of the road, nonetheless. Final yr, each Brandin Cooks and Cam Akers went from being at odds with the Texans and Rams, respectively, to ending out the seasons again as starters for his or her groups. (Although, each have been dealt this yr.) Claypool, nonetheless, doesn’t have the identical kind of function because the Bears. The ex-Steelers second-rounder has underwhelmed since being dealt to the Bears on the 2022 deadline. The Bears made him a wholesome scratch for his or her Week 4 sport in opposition to the Broncos, and a Sunday morning report pointed to a commerce try going down.
Whereas the Bears have been believed to be asking for a fifth- or sixth-round decide for the cumbersome wideout, this explicit asset’s worth has tanked since he was final on the commerce block. In 10 Bears video games, Claypool has caught simply 18 passes for 191 yards and a landing. He has 4 grabs for 51 yards this season. Bears coaches criticized Claypool for his effort in Week 1, and GM Ryan Poles issued an ultimatum of kinds after that displaying. Claypool then caught three passes for 36 yards in Week 2 however was not an element within the Bears’ Week 3 loss in Kansas Metropolis.
The Bears surrendered the No. 32 total decide for Claypool final yr. The Packers additionally despatched the Steelers a second-round supply, as they tried to make an Eleventh-hour improve on their pass-catching corps to assist their last Aaron Rodgers-led offense. Pittsburgh most well-liked Chicago’s decide, believing it will are available in greater. That wager proved prescient; the Bears haven’t received a sport since buying Claypool. Sunday’s 21-point collapse marked Chicago’s 14th straight loss.
The previous Notre Dame standout is tied to a $2.99M base wage this season. It shouldn’t be thought of out of a query different groups nonetheless worth Claypool, however this Bears regime won’t recoup something near the identical degree of draft asset it parted with to usher in the 6-foot-5 goal almost a yr in the past.
