NEWSLETTER
In the future, I imagine we’ll talk about the Chase Claypool experience the same way old heads talk about the month of March. Claypool came in like a lion and went out like a lamb.
There was much fanfare for Claypool’s arrival. And rightfully so. A second-round pick in 2020 with size, speed, skill, and ample motivation after the Steelers gave up on him should’ve found new life in Chicago. Instead, we witnessed his Bears career look similar to that of what it looked like at the end of his run in Pittsburgh. The difference is that the Steelers maxed out their return in the trade. Then again, that Chicago was able to net anything in return for a player who seemed on the verge of being cut feels like a net win.
Six days after being traded, Chase Claypool weighed in on what went wrong in Chicago. And his thoughts mirror the opinions of a former teammate. More on that in a moment. First, Claypool’s perspective now that he is a member of the Miami Dolphins:
“I think that when you lose a lot of games in a row, there’s frustration, naturally,” Claypool said via the Miami Herald (h/t Pro Football Talk). “I think that’s new for everybody. I’m sure from the top down. So I think just being excited getting some wins and stuff like that. I think that just comes naturally. And once you start winning, things start getting less frustrating obviously.”
That is an interesting bit of commentary from Claypool. If only because it sounds eerily familiar to something we heard earlier in the offseason. And from another notable ex-Bears player who flew the coop.
If you’ll recall, former Bears running back David Montgomery shared a similar sentiment in the offseason. Monty even went as far as to say that losing “sucked the fun out of the game” for him. Heck, even Bears GM Ryan Poles openly discussed how ending the 2022 season on a lengthy losing streak took a toll on him. And if it was “emotionally draining” for the guy who put the team together, imagine how it felt for the players taking hits in the trenches on game day.
But unlike Montgomery’s departure, I reckon I’m not going to miss that Chase Claypool isn’t around.
I’m glad the Chase Claypool experience is over
On the one hand, I totally understand where Chase Claypool is coming from with his comments. Losing sucks. Full stop. It is the worst. Even when you, as a fan, come to grips with the concept of losing and bottoming out as the fastest path toward building a championship contender, losing still stinks.
But on the other hand, Claypool didn’t provide much in terms of being a solution to the Bears’ losing problem. He was slow to pick up the playbook upon arrival and was publicly critical of how he was being misused in the offense on the way out the door. In between, Claypool struggled to build a rapport with Justin Fields (hitting a crescendo with a public, in-game outburst) and was caught loafing so badly that his teammates had to call him out on it. All while garnering all sorts of public support from his coaches and teammates along the way. That’s just not a way you want to go out.
Chase Claypool might’ve been right about the offense not playing to his strengths. And maybe he should be commended for it. After all, we’ve seen the offense make notable changes since his departure (beginning with Week 4 against the Broncos). Plus, I definitely understand how the Bears’ losing negatively impacted his game. It is understandable at some level. It’s just that he could’ve changed the narrative by making the most of his situation. He didn’t. Hence, he’ll get minimal sympathy from Bears fans. And I hope I’m done writing about him (and his time in Chicago) moving forward.
