After Largely Disappointing, Chase Claypool Admits: 'Biggest Year Of My Life'

Chase Claypool knows he has something to prove.

The Chicago Bears made a mid-season trade for the 25-year-old in 2022 and had plans to make him their WR1. But so far, the experiment hasn't quite worked out. Fans are frustrated, and Claypool is feeling the heat.

"It's the biggest year of my life, and I understand that," Claypool said after camp on Wednesday. "If anybody thinks my work ethic isn't matching that, they're deeply mistaken."

Claypool was an up-and-coming wideout for the Steelers after posting more than 800 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons.

(Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)

But he didn't gel with the offense in 2022, and the Steelers traded him to the struggling Bears in November. Injury and lack of production marred Claypool's introduction to Chicago.

In seven games for the Bears, he logged a meager 140 receiving yards on 14 catches.

"Maybe people weren't happy with how I dealt with the offseason, but that's only the perception that was given to them and not the reality that's true," Claypool said.

"I remember almost blowing my knee out against the Packers and being done for the game and kind of pleading to be put back in, putting the knee brace back on, went back in and tried to help my team win."

Chase Claypool Suffered Another Injury in OTAs

On Sunday, the Bears placed Claypool on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. He was reportedly dealing with a soft-tissue injury he suffered during OTAs.

But after he passed his physical, the team activated him just a day later.

The Bears opened Training Camp Wednesday and Claypool fully participated. He wore a compression sleeve on his right leg.

"If there's any questions on how much I'm willing to do to help this team win, there shouldn't be. You know?" Claypool said. "I think that I'm doing everything I can to be as healthy as possible and knowing in the game everyone gets injured."

Claypool's contract is up at the end of 2023. But the Notre Dame alumnus says he's not thinking about that.

"The goal is the same at the end of the day: it's to win football games and my contract year aside, I want to win football games," Claypool said.

And winning games is not something the Bears did much in 2022. The team finished 28th in total offense last year and dead last in receiving yards.

To bolster the receivers depth, Chicago traded away the first-overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft and acquired Panthers star wideout D.J. Moore as part of the mega trade package.

(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Next season will be a major "prove-it" season for Chicago quarterback Justin Fields and, by extension, a big year for the wideouts.

No pressure, Chase Claypool.