The Chicago Bears acquired Chase Claypool for a second-round pick last season. With Justin Fields on the rise, Claypool was meant to bolster a weak receiving corps and help the Bears take the next step offensively.
Well, if you're here, you probably know the gist of the story. Claypool has been stunningly bad in Chicago. He has four receptions on 14 targets for 51 yards through three weeks. Rather than look for solutions internally, Claypool made his frustrations public after Week 3. He blamed the Bears' coaching staff for not using him properly. Then, Chicago axed him from the active roster and put him on the trade market.
Bears GM Ryan Poles has been actively calling teams in search of a fifth or sixth-round pick, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
Those who have watched Claypool half-run routes and bobble passes in Chicago may be hesitant to endorse a trade to your favorite team, but he's a 25-year-old former second-round pick. He's only a couple years removed from a 956-yard campaign with the Steelers, so someone in a position of power will talk themselves into Claypool.
A late day-three pick is low enough risk to warrant the investment for a team desperate for help on the WR front. Maybe all Claypool needs is a change of scenery and a sudden realization that his lax efforts in Chicago are a one-way ticket out of the NFL.
These teams are worth monitoring.
No. 3 Chase Claypool trade suitor: Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers could use another weapon for No. 1 pick Bryce Young. It's risky to bring Claypool into another losing situation, but there's a difference between directionless (Bears) and deliberate (Panthers). Carolina has a plan, an offensive head coach in Frank Reich, and a clear role for Claypool to step into.
Veteran Adam Thielen has developed strong chemistry with Young, but Carolina's receiving options are limited. Thielen is 33 years old, little more than a placeholder to get Young acclimated to the NFL game. D.J. Clark hasn't broken the 700-yard mark since 2020. There's obvious belief in second-round pick Jonathan Mingo, but Carolina's depth chart at WR is shallow. There's no two ways about it.
Claypool could immediately step into a healthy target share. His age aligns with Carolina's competitive timeline and, let's speak it true, Bryce Young is already noticeably better than Justin Fields. One has to imagine the root of Claypool's frustration is the poor QB play in Chicago. Any upgrade — not to mention one with Young's upward trajectory — could work miracles.
Of course, Carolina should tread carefully here. Even if Claypool lives up to his billing on the field, there are locker room and general effort concerns that now factor into the equation. He quit on the Bears. What's to stop him from quitting on the Panthers?
No. 2 Chase Claypool trade suitor: New England Patriots
The New England Patriots have a solid collection of receivers, but there is a stark absence of a true No.1 target. That's not to suggest Claypool can become that dude for New England, but there's room for a talented player to separate himself from the crowd in an offense that tends to spread the wealth.
Concerns about Mac Jones' future persist, but he's a spry young QB who is far more conducive to productive WR play than Justin Fields. The Patriots have the feel of a run-dependent team with Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott, but Jones gets the chance to air it out — especially when the Patriots are battling back from a deficit.
Claypool would slot in next to DeVante Parker and JuJu Smith-Schuster on the Patriots' WR depth chart. New England's tight ends also get a fair amount of targets, in classic Patriots fashion. This isn't necessarily Claypool's best chance to be the workhorse, but no such role exists for him now. He needs to prove his ability to work within a team context. There's no better place for career reclamation than Foxboro.
It's hard to see Claypool outwardly disrespecting Bill Belichick in the same way he outwardly disrespected Matt Eberflus, Luke Getsy, and his coaches in Chicago. The Patriots, even in their current defunct state, still feel like a refuge for talented outcasts hoping to find their NFL home. New England has some ground to make up in the AFC East, and maybe a low-risk swing for Claypool fancies the front office as a result.
No. 1 Chase Claypool trade suitor: Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs' WR room remains a serious weak point. It has gotten better since the Week 1 disaster against Detroit, largely thanks to Travis Kelce, but Mahomes can bring the best out of a mediocre weapons corps. Thing is, he can make truly special things happen when his weapons are up to par.
Chase Claypool, again, may just not be "up to par." But, he's a former second-round pick who flashed serious potential in his Pittsburgh days. At 25 years old, and with the price so low, maybe the Chiefs wade into uncertain waters here. If ever there was a QB and a situation to get Claypool to perk up and buy in, it's this one.
The change from Fields to Mahomes would almost be jarring. Suddenly, Claypool is receiving crisp passes right in his gloves, rather than fumbling around to catch a half-speed lob five yards downfield. The Chiefs love to air it out and, with the current setup, Mahomes is splitting his targets between a ton of different receivers — with Kelce as the obvious favorite.
Drops have been a problem for Claypool. He's an inefficient WR and his remarkable athleticism at 6-foot-4 has not delivered the consistent results scouts expected coming out of Notre Dame. Still, giving Mahomes another big target in the end zone — a player physically designed to win 50-50 balls in traffic — could be a game-changer. The Chiefs don't have any such players in the WR room at the moment.
Is it smart to trade for Claypool under the circumstances? Probably not. But, there's no reward without first a risk. These teams at least make sense from a personality and team-building standpoint.