Claypool, 25, may remain on the roster for now, but he has been released from the team at the team’s request since last week. The Bears inactive Claypool on Sunday against the Denver Broncos, requiring him to stay home rather than join his teammates at Soldier Field. On Monday, the Bears said Claypool would once again not be with the team for Thursday night’s game against the Washington Commanders, officially out for the second straight week.
Claypool made comments to the media before the Week 4 game, questioning whether the Bears coaching staff was utilizing him in the best possible way.
The staff has been criticized not only for the team’s 0-4 start, but also for the sudden resignation of defensive coordinator Alan Williams. The same day Williams stepped down, quarterback Justin Fields also appeared to question the coach’s playbook, then clarified his remarks the same day.
Claypool played in the Bears’ first three games of the season, starting two and catching four passes (14 targets) for 51 yards and a touchdown.
The Bears acquired Claypool from the Steelers at last year’s trade , giving him a second-round pick that eventually became the 32nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. In 10 games (five starts) with the Bears, Claypool totaled 18 catches (43 targets) for 191 yards.
Claypool, a second-round pick (49th overall) out of Notre Dame in the 2020 NFL Draft, has 171 career catches for 2,235 yards and 13 touchdowns in 49 career games (32 starts). times, with most of that performance coming from Pittsburgh. He also has two career passing touchdowns, 33 carries for 171 yards and two other scores.
