A few days after the Chicago Bears announced Chase Claypool would not be practicing with the team this week, a new ESPN report suggests things may continue going downhill for Claypool and the Bears.
Claypool was a healthy scratch in Week 4's loss to the Broncos, and head coach Matt Eberflus recently said the ex-Steelers wideout "will remain away" from the team in the days leading up to Week 5's matchup against Commanders on Thursday.
On Wednesday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler revealed that several teams in the league believe the Bears will end up releasing Claypool. One anonymous executive told Fowler, "I think that's where it's trending."
Few teams would be foolish enough to trade for Claypool, who has assumed a pariah status as of late. If and when Claypool returns from exile, he could be packing his bags in Halas Hall and looking for a new team as a free agent.
NFL Rumors: Bears 'trending' toward releasing Chase Claypool
In 2023, Claypool has four catches for 51 yards and one touchdown. He's since been surpassed by more productive wideouts on the depth chart like D.J. Moore and Darnell Mooney, and if he were to return to the Bears, he would serve in a backup role at most.
Nearly a year ago, the Steelers sent Claypool to the Bears in return for a 2023 second-round pick, a deal that's panning out real well for Pittsburgh right now (the Steelers drafted corner Joey Porter Jr. with that early second-rounder).
The 25-year-old wideout is in the final year of his rookie contract and has a roughly $3 million base salary in 2023. Earlier this month, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that Bears general manager Ryan Poles has been "actively calling teams" about a potential Claypool trade and hopes to get a future fifth- or sixth-rounder in return.
Will Claypool ever return from his banishment? Which teams could make the short-sighted move to acquire him? Claypool's arrival in Chicago in 2022 elicited plenty of questions, and his pending departure also appears to be shrouded with uncertainty. For his and the Bears' sake, hopefully the saga ends soon.