It’s possible that receiver Chase Claypool has played his last game with the Bears.
Three weeks after a half-hearted effort in Week 1 against the Packers forced him to apologize to everyone, Claypool’s latest misstep has made him a healthy scratch for Sunday’s visit from the Broncos.
Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reports that the Bears will deal with Claypool later this week. Glazer suggested that they’ll put Claypool “on ice” or possibly release him.
A trade is also possible, but what could they get for him at this point? Whatever it is, it will be far less than the second-round pick (which became essentially a first-round pick) that the Bears surrendered to get him. It might be better to hold him through the end of the season, let him leave as a free agent, and factor the departure into the 2025 compensatory draft-pick formula.
Claypool has a non-guaranteed base salary of $2.993 million in 2023. He would go through waivers if released; if claimed, the Bears would owe him nothing.
The Bear don’t exactly have a lot of spare time to deal with Claypool in the coming days. They face the Commanders on Thursday night.