Chase Claypool explains what went fallacious with Bears after unceremonious exit

The Bears had huge plans for Chase Claypool once they acquired the vast receiver on the 2022 NFL commerce deadline. These goals by no means materialized, and the connection shortly fizzled.

After points with effort, perspective, and buy-in, the Bears lower bait by buying and selling Claypool to the Miami Dolphins final Friday.

On Wednesday in Miami, Claypool addressed the media for the primary time as a Dolphin. The fourth-year vast receiver pointed to the Bears’ dropping streak as the rationale he grew to become irritated with the scenario.

“I feel that whenever you lose a variety of video games in a row, there’s frustration, naturally,” Claypool mentioned, by way of The Miami Herald. “I feel that’s new for everyone. I’m positive from the highest down. So I feel simply being excited getting some wins and stuff like that. I feel that simply comes naturally. And when you begin profitable, issues begin getting much less irritating clearly.”

The dropping — and Claypool’s incapability to channel that frustration positively — was one thing Bears tight finish Cole Kmet, who’s a detailed pal of Claypool, additionally hinted at when requested why the connection devolved.

“I feel dropping could be arduous for guys to take care of,” Kmet mentioned after the Bears’ Week 4 loss. “It’s been arduous for me to handle, however you’ve acquired to seek out methods to get again to work, clear your thoughts, day-after-day. It’s arduous– look, I haven’t received a recreation in nearly a yr now, and belief me, I take it dwelling with me, and it hurts, man, it hurts. It’s arduous to take care of it, however we’ve all gotta be adults about it and be capable of transfer on and be capable of belief the method set. That may be arduous to do typically when issues aren’t going your manner, and possibly you’re not getting the targets you need, and also you’re not profitable, all these issues kinda add up, and also you get annoyed, however it’s a must to be a person about it, be an grownup about it and be capable of reset your thoughts every week and simply look to enhance your self individually, every day.”

Claypool by no means received a recreation as an on-field member of the Bears. The Bears snapped their 14-game dropping streak final Thursday whereas Claypool was a wholesome inactive. On Friday, the Bears traded Claypool and a 2025 seventh-round choose to the Dolphins for a 2025 sixth-round choose.

By all accounts, the Bears tried to make issues work with Claypool. Normal supervisor Ryan Poles, head coach Matt Eberflus, and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy all seen Claypool, together with his measurement and physicality, as the best complement to No. 1 vast receiver DJ Moore.

When he was wholesome early in camp, Claypool seemed the half. He confirmed improved chemistry with quarterback Justin Fields and was a go-to weapon in third-down and red-zone conditions.

However the Claypool the Bears thought they’d get once they despatched the No. 32 total choose within the 2023 NFL Draft to the Pittsburgh Steelers turned out to solely be a theoretical weapon.

Claypool’s season acquired off to a tough begin when he was universally criticized for poor effort throughout the Bears’ Week 1 loss to the Inexperienced Bay Packers. That led to a gathering with Eberflus and Poles the place Claypool wished the expectations and position they envisioned for him clarified.

Claypool’s effort was higher in Week 2, however he aired out his frustrations with the workers throughout a media scrum within the week main as much as the Bears’ Week 4 recreation in opposition to the Denver Broncos, saying he did not imagine the workers was placing him in the perfect place to succeed.

Claypool opted to not supply his opinion when requested how the Bears’ workers may higher make the most of him.

“, I’ll allow them to determine that. I’m not going to present any pointers,” Claypool mentioned in his remaining media session earlier than the Bears despatched him dwelling. “That’s their job to determine and I’ll simply do what they inform me to do.”

In his 10 profession video games with the Bears, Claypool caught simply 18 passes for 191 yards and one landing.

The Bears have been assured they’d get the perfect out of Claypool after an offseason to digest the playbook and construct chemistry with Fields. That the vast receiver can be in a contract yr was another excuse to anticipate the perfect model of Claypool.

For no matter purpose, the Bears by no means acquired the receiver they envisioned.

Now, each events are shifting on from a failed experiment.

“I actually haven’t any regrets on that,” Eberflus mentioned after the Bears traded Claypool. “I simply assume we took a shot on a man to carry extra ability in right here and, once more, for no matter purpose — I am not going to get into the explanations — it simply did not work out. We want him the perfect.”

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