Wideout Chase Claypool’s underwhelming performance in Week 1 loss to the Green Bay Packers might have jeopardized his status as a starter for the Chicago Bears.
Despite being expected to emerge as one of the primary offensive weapons for young quarterback Justin Fields, Claypool disappointed against the Packers. He was only targeted twice, failed to make a single reception, and didn’t do a great job in perimeter blocking.
In a chat with reporters on Wednesday, Bears’ head coach Matt Eberflus reflected on Claypool’s struggles, saying that “perimeter blocking needed to improve for all of us.” He didn’t rule out making Claypool inactive for the Week 2 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is a possibility when asked about it.
“We’re looking at all possibilities right now,” said Eberflus. “I’m not going to talk about who’s going to be up or down for the game right now, for obvious reasons. We’re looking at all things to make our team better—who’s going to be up and who’s going to be down in terms of the active roster.”
Claypool joined the Bears midway through the 2022 campaign from the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a second-round pick (No. 32 in the 2023 NFL Draft). The Notre Dame product made 32 catches in eight starts with Chicago last season, finishing the campaign with 311 receiving yards and one touchdown.
