One Reason To Believe Chase Claypool Turns The Corner This Year

Chase Claypool was brought in last year to bolster the Chicago Bears' struggling air attack. It didn't work out as hoped. He didn't put up any meaningful numbers over the second half of the season. That was a big reason why many fans declared the trade to acquire him a failure. Of course, such statements are premature. He still has a full season ahead in 2023. That gives him enough time to change the narrative; this time, he'll have a full training camp to get acclimated to the system.

However, it doesn't have to all be pessimism. The truth is there is some underlying evidence that Claypool will be far more productive this season. It stems from what he was doing last year. After three quiet games to start his time in Chicago, the young receiver seemed to find a groove in Week 12 against the Jets, where he made two catches for 51 yards. This carried over to the next week against Green Bay. Claypool caught five passes for 28 yards in the first 21 minutes of the first half. However, he got his knee twisted up on a tackle during one of those catches and was forced to leave the game.

He missed the next two games. By the time he was back, Fields was dinged up, and the season was all but over.

Chase Claypool will get a fair opportunity.

The Bears promised him as much. They've maintained their belief in him throughout the off-season despite several rumors of suspected lacking motivation. Fields seems happy with his progress, as does offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. The Bears quarterback loves to spread the ball around. So there will be plenty of targets coming his way. It is also a reasonable assumption Claypool will see lots of single coverage, what with defenses having to focus on stopping new arrival D.J. Moore.

It can be easy to forget that Chase Claypool is a good player. He proved that in his first two years with Pittsburgh. Sure, it wasn't always great, but the productivity was there. It's not his fault the Steelers struggled from questionable play calling and quarterback problems. While he made some mistakes, it feels like he was also the scapegoat for many of the offense's issues. In fact, their passing yardage output tanked considerably after he left. Claypool has all the motivation in the world to excel this year, and he showed signs last season that he can.