Why the Bears Should Exercise Patience Before Extolling Chase Claypool
"Chase Claypool's brief but vibrant stint within the Bears offense has garnered praise from his coaches after just a single week on the field. However, it may be too soon to break out the party hats.
Much like his last season in Chicago, Claypool, unfortunately, seems to be a lightning rod for mishaps.
Hinted as a soft tissue issue by coach Matt Eberflus, Claypool's recent injury throws a spanner into his otherwise promising progress. After hints at a significant leap forward with a full offseason within this offense, this setback stings. "He just felt something like a lot of guys do, so we let him sit out for the day. We'll see where we're going from there," Eberflus stated nearly two weeks ago, post-injury.
This is why the upcoming Tuesday-through-Thursday minicamp is pivotal for Claypool.
Will the Bears bring him back on the field for group work?
Last year, the team, along with GM Ryan Poles and coaches, put out a narrative that all Claypool needed was time: time to build rapport with quarterback Justin Fields, time to comprehend the Bears offense, time he just didn't have after joining midseason in 2022 from Pittsburgh.
Indeed, his on-field moments with Fields were scant. Claypool clocked just 200 total game snaps for the Bears last year, with only 126 alongside Fields, many of which were running plays. Thus, it's unsurprising that the Fields-Claypool connection failed to catch fire, yielding 14 catches in seven games for 140 yards and zero touchdowns.
"Obviously, he's definitely in a much better place now," opined offensive coordinator Luke Getsy about Claypool's current status. "His positive attitude, his optimism, and his committed approach to learning are all impressive to see."
The Bears profess to have observed significant improvement in Claypool.
"Chase's growth from last year to now is tremendous," Fields shared after the first week of practice. "Seeing his work ethic and attitude change, you can tell he's taken a step forward, which is exciting."
Getsy echoed Fields' sentiment, adding, "The most important factor is the relationship between quarterback and receiver, and that's definitely improving. His knowledge of the game is growing too. We demand a lot from that position and it's heartening to see him step up to the challenge."
However, one can't help but wonder if these praises aren't just coachspeak and off-season optimism.
Early team conditioning work didn't involve on-field action against defenses, and Claypool's on-field stint at OTAs was limited to only one week out of three. So perhaps the Bears should curb their enthusiasm, at least for now, and let Claypool's performance in the coming season do the talking."
| POLL | ||
11 JUIN | 33 ANSWERS Why the Bears Should Exercise Patience Before Extolling Chase Claypool Will Chase Claypool start next season? | ||
| Yes | 20 | 60.6 % |
| No | 13 | 39.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
