Chase Claypool Says Bears Aren't Putting Him In Position To Succeed

So far, the Chase Claypool experiment in Chicago hasn't worked out.

When the Bears made a mid-season trade for the 25-year-old in 2022, they had plans to make him their WR1. Sure, it takes time to adjust to a new offense. But how long are Bears fans supposed to wait?

"Sometimes the things around you either elevate you or you have to adapt to allow you to elevate with them," Claypool said. "So I've just been adapting to the new system and my new role in the system and trying to make the most out of it."

Granted, we're talking about a football team with a myriad of problems. So it would be unfair to pin the rough start on one wide receiver. But when reporters asked Claypool if his organization was putting him in the best position to showcase his ability, he shook his head and said no.

Claypool was then pressed on whether his situation with the Bears isn't ideal.

"No, I wouldn't say that," he replied. "Every situation has the ability to be ideal. I think we're just working towards that. I'm not gonna say that. I wouldn't say that it's not an ideal place for me."

"Obviously, there's other places. You can say, 'Oh, I want to be on the best offense with the highest passing yards,' but that doesn't happen in football," Claypool said. "You just have to make do with what you've got."

And what he's got is a team that's been outscored 106-41 through three games. He's got a quarterback struggling to run an offense, a scheme that doesn't take advantage of the players' strengths or cover their weaknesses, an O-line that can't block and a receiving group that doesn't know what routes to run.

Chase Claypool has just four catches this season for the Bears. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

So how much of the blame can you put on Chase Claypool?

Claypool was an up-and-coming wideout for the Steelers after posting more than 800 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons. 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 last season, he logged a meager 140 receiving yards on 14 catches. So ahead of 2023, Claypool knew he had something to prove.

"It's the biggest year of my life, and I understand that," he said during camp in late July. "If anybody thinks my work ethic isn't matching that, they're deeply mistaken."

Well, there are plenty of people who think his work ethic — or lack thereof — is a problem. After all, how can you expect the Bears to put you in a position to succeed if you don't put yourself in a position to succeed?

Several reporters noted Claypool was "sleep walking" during the Bears' season opener against the Green Bay Packers. And the receiver later apologized to teammates, coaches and the front office for his play during that game.

But things didn't really improve from there. In three games this season, Claypool has just four catches for 51 yards and a touchdown. And FOX's Jay Glazer reported Claypool is "on notice." The front office said if they don't see improvement, he'll either be a healthy inactive or "shipped out again."

So they're blaming him, and he's blaming them. This will certainly end well.