Bears trade WR Chase Claypool to Dolphins as part of 2025 draft pick swap
The Chicago Bears are trading wide receiver Chase Claypool to the Miami Dolphins, the Dolphins announced Friday.
It's the final chapter in a bad relationship that lasted less than a full calendar year between the Bears and the wideout.
The 25-year-old lands with the league's leading offense as part of a 2025 draft pick swap that will also send a seventh-rounder to Miami and a sixth-round pick to the Bears.
Chicago acquired Claypool from the Pittsburgh Steelers in November 2022 for what turned out to be the No. 32 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.
His trade to Miami comes after Bears general manager Ryan Poles all but said the team's relationship with Claypool was beyond repair.
Cracks began to show as soon as the season began, with Claypool outwardly not giving his best in the Bears' 38-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 1. His perimeter blocking showed such little effort that a lowlight reel made the rounds on social media. Bears wide receiver DJ Moore later said he and others immediately addressed the issue on the sideline, and it wouldn't be a problem again during the season.
But as the team's record worsened to 0-3, issues surrounding Claypool continued. When asked on Sept. 29 whether the Bears were putting him "in the best position for you as a receiver to showcase the best of what you can do," he paused for several seconds, then said, "No."
Chicago's 31-28 loss to the Denver Broncos on Oct. 2 was augmented by questions surrounding Claypool's absence. Head coach Matt Eberflus couldn't get his story straight in front of reporters as he attempted to explain the wideout's sideline attire being untouched in his locker. Moments after he left the podium, the Bears released a statement saying the team asked Claypool to stay home.
Poles delivered his seemingly final comments regarding Claypool ahead of the Bears' first win of the season.
"Unfortunately, it didn’t work out and we were hoping for him to be a little bit more productive and be someone that could help us take it to the next level," Poles said ahead of the team's 40-20 win over the Washington Commanders on Thursday. "I wish him luck."
Claypool recorded a total of 18 catches in his stint with the Bears, a disappointing result after he exceeded 800 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons with the Steelers.
