LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) -- Chase Claypool knows that doubt he’s facing entering this pivotal season of his young career. He’s hoping to craft a proper response.
For now, all Claypool can do is express is thoughts and feelings while working to earn the Bears’ belief. He was cast off by the Steelers prior to the trade deadline last November and struggled to catch on with his new team. The 25-year-old Claypool now enters a contract year without any assurances of what’s to come.
“It’s the biggest year of my life, and I understand that,” Claypool said on Wednesday. “If anybody thinks my work ethic isn’t matching that, they’re deeply mistaken.”
A second-round pick out of Notre Dame in 2020, Claypool had a breakout rookie campaign in which he hauled in 62 receptions, 873 yards and nine touchdowns. He has just three scores in the 30 games since, and did not find the end zone once over seven games for the Bears last season.
The Bears traded a second-round pick to the Steelers to acquire Claypool, believing he could be a dynamic weapon for quarterback Justin Fields. Claypool had just 14 receptions for 140 yards in those seven games with the Bears. The Steelers’ selection they landed in the trade turned into the No. 32 overall pick.
Claypool’s new season got off to an ominous start when he was placed on the physically-unable-to-perform list Sunday with an undisclosed injury. He was activated one day later and present with the Bears on Wednesday morning inside the Walter Payton Center.
As the Bears held their first work of training camp, Claypool and his teammates learned that tight end Cole Kmet had reached an agreement on a four-year, $50-million contract extension. It’s the type of lucrative long-term future Claypool could envision for himself if he earns it this season.
“Chase is a competitive dude,” Kmet said. “He’s always been like that since I’ve known him. So, he’s just out here to compete, do his thing. I think he’s going to be a big contributor for us this year. He needs to be. That’s what we need from him. If we’re going to go places we need to go, Chase is going to play a big role in that.
“When you’re moving from one place to another, going into a brand new offense and quite frankly an offense that we were still getting comfortable with at the time, to be thrown in the mix like that, it’s tough.
“I know he’s ready to go and looking forward to the season.”
As part of the work Claypool put forth this offseason, he created flashcards to quiz himself on the route concepts with each play. Each card featured the name of the play and then the actual design on the back. Claypool put in AirPods to hear himself say the play, then would run through his routes
Claypool would put aside the cards for plays he got wrong and work until he got each right. He spent part of this offseason in Florida with Fields as they worked to develop a closer chemistry.
“He worked really hard from last year to learning the offense and really just putting his best foot forward and just trying to learn,” Fields said. “I think it was tough last year coming in midseason trying to learn our offense because it’s so complex. But this spring, I was proud of him just the way he worked and just really attacked each and every day.”
Said head coach Matt Eberflus of Claypool: “He’s in a really good spot.”
Claypool is facing a pivotal point in his young career, the opportunity to breakthrough once again as he did as a rookie – or the prospect of falling out of favor with a second team and looking to the unknown.
Claypool knows that this opportunity stands right before him.
“I get motivated and motivated and motivated,” Claypool said. “It keeps building on top of each other. My work ethic grows from last year, it will grow after this year.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
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