After starring at Notre Dame, Chase Claypool is back in the Midwest. The third-year receiver is now a Chicago Bear after being dealt from Pittsburgh prior to the trade deadline. The Steelers received a 2023 second-round pick in the deal, while the Bears received a player who they hope can develop a quick rapport with second-year quarterback Justin Fields.
Fields, another former Midwest college star at Ohio State, is looking forward to playing alongside Claypool, who caught 153 passes during his two-plus seasons in Pittsburgh. Fields had a field day throwing deep to future NFL receivers at Ohio State, and he's hoping to duplicate that success in Chicago with Claypool.
"He's a playmaker, a big body, athletic, fast," Fields said this week, via The Athletic. "A great 50/50 ball catcher. I was excited of course."
Claypool is also excited to be in Chicago. He said that he feels that he wasn't given a full opportunity to display his talents during this season's first eight games as he was asked to play more in the slot. Claypool did significantly more damage during his first two seasons in Pittsburgh, when he caught 121 passes for 1,733 yards and 11 touchdowns. He scored 11 total touchdowns as a rookie while helping the Steelers race out to an 11-0 start that season.
"I'm a playmaker and I'm excited to make plays," Claypool said. "I feel like I didn't have the full opportunity to show what I can do this year [in Pittsburgh], but I think I've been able to show that in the past."
Despite his success, the Steelers deemed Claypool expendable at the deadline. When discussing the deal, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said that receiving a second-round pick, along with his confidence in the Steelers' ability to make plays in the middle of the field, led to the transaction going through before the deadline.
"We've got some games left to play and we feel really comfortable with the depth that we have at Chase's position," Tomln said. "Not only at the wide out position, but that's a space we're really comfortable with with (tight end) Pat Freiermuth as well being a significant component of our attack on the interior portions of the field."
A second-round pick is a steep price to pay for a receiver who has just one touchdown catch this season and will be a free agent after the 2023 season. But given Claypool's previous production, his potential and the Bears' desire to give Fields another playmaker, it was a risk the Bears were more than willing to take.
"It's important that you stretch the vertical part," Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. "Not only on the sides by the numbers but the middle part of the field. I think that we're doing that and we're going to continue to find creative ways to do all those things."
