Ryan Poles Breaks Silence Firing Shots At Chase Claypool

Chase Claypool will go down as arguably the worst trade the Chicago Bears have made in the past decade. It's right up there with sending Greg Olsen to Carolina for pennies. For what became the 32nd pick in the 2023 draft, Chicago got 18 catches for 191 yards and a touchdown in 10 games. The disgruntled wide receiver then torpedoed his chances of improving by calling out the coaching staff for not using him correctly. Head coach Matt Eberflus shut him down after that, and he's been sitting at home ever since. The person taking the most flak for it is Ryan Poles.

He is the one who engineered the trade last year. The Bears GM appeared on ESPN 1000, where he was finally asked about the Claypool situation. He didn't hold back. Poles still believes the process that led to the trade was sound. Chicago needed wide receiver help for Justin Fields. Claypool was young, talented, and had every reason to be motivated. However, he admitted that the trade was a mistake. One he takes full ownership of. At the same time, he wasn't shy about sharing his opinion on where the receiver went wrong.

Essentially, he insinuated the guy wasn't mentally tough enough.

"You’re always disappointed in this situation and it’s definitely something I take ownership of. 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.

"I always look at things from a player’s perspective. 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, we all will, and I wish him luck moving forward throughout his career."

Ryan Poles is correct on both counts.

That trade was his fault. Acquiring a receiver was the right idea, but he and his pro scouting department did a poor job evaluating the player they were getting. Even to people outside Pittsburgh, it was obvious that Claypool was wearing out his welcome in the Steelers locker room. It's a big red flag when Mike Tomlin has trouble getting the most out of you. Sadly, desperation forced the Bears' hand. Claypool did little when he arrived and never managed to improve. He caught only 18 of the 43 passes thrown in his direction. Ironically, it may have been his poor blocking that tanked his stock the most.

There is no doubt Ryan Poles must own that mistake. The good news is he's young. Such things can happen. It is a lesson that he is smart enough to learn from, presuming he keeps his job after this season. Claypool's future is certain in one aspect. He won't be playing another down in Chicago. They will either trade him or cut him in the coming weeks. His hopes of landing a lucrative contract as a free agent are likely dead. Most teams will view him as radioactive.