Benching Chase Claypool against Broncos indicates Bears' trade misstep.
On Friday at Halas Hall, Chase Claypool expressed dissatisfaction, feeling that the Bears' coaching team isn't leveraging his full potential. When probed on how he could be better integrated, the fourth-year player declined to offer "pointers."
This seems like another step towards an inevitable split between Claypool and the Bears.
Sunday's decision to bench Claypool for the match against the Denver Broncos reinforces the perception that the Bears' trade for him wasn't fruitful. After ending with the league's worst record, the Bears had traded their top second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for Claypool.
However, equating Claypool's impact to the worth of the No. 32 pick was always going to be challenging. The Bears could have instead opted for a promising edge rusher or offensive lineman.
The best scenario following the trade would've seen Claypool fully prepped for training camp - understanding the playbook, showcasing a positive mindset, and harmonizing with quarterback Justin Fields.
While Claypool began training camp energetically, an ensuing hamstring injury sidelined him until the Bears' inaugural season loss to the Green Bay Packers. During this game, his commitment, especially in blocking, faced criticism.
The fact that Claypool, in a contract year, felt the need to discuss his Week 1 performance with the Bears' leadership should have been a red flag for general manager Ryan Poles. However, Poles remained hopeful, seeing in Claypool a potential asset to the Bears' aerial game, providing a solid counterpart to DJ Moore and Darnell Mooney.
Yet, after Claypool's subpar attitude in Week 1 and a fleeting upturn in Tampa, there seems to be no significant improvement. His recent critique of the coaching team should be the deal-breaker in this unfruitful trade. The Bears need to acknowledge that this trade was a misstep. Continuing with Claypool seems more trouble than it's worth.
| POLL | ||
1 OCTOBRE | 59 ANSWERS Benching Chase Claypool against Broncos indicates Bears' trade misstep. Is the Chase Claypool's trade officially a bad one? | ||
| Yes | 52 | 88.1 % |
| No | 7 | 11.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
