Add Chase Claypool to the list of players who are unhappy with how they are being utilized by the Bears.
Claypool was asked by ESPN’s Courtney Cronin on Friday if he feels like he has been put in the best position as a receiver to showcase what he can do.
After a seven-second pause, Claypool shook his head and said, “No.”
In 10 games played for the Bears going back to the 2022 season, Claypool has just 18 receptions for 191 yards and one touchdown — which came in the Week 2 loss to the Buccaneers this season.
Following Claypool’s one-word “No” answer, the Bears’ receiver was asked if the situation was not ideal.
“No, I wouldn’t say that,” Claypool said. “I think every situation has the ability to be ideal and I think we’re just working towards that. I’m not going to say that. I wouldn’t say it’s not an ideal place for me. Obviously there’s other places – you can say, ‘Oh, I want to be on the best offense with the highest passing yards’ but that doesn’t happen in football. You just have to make do with what you got.”
Claypool may have a point with not being used properly, but he hasn’t made things easier on himself. Everyone saw his lack of effort when it came to blocking against the Packers in Week 1. Also, when the 6-foot-4, 238-pound receiver has been targeted on contested catches this season, he is 0 for 4, according to Pro Football Focus.
Right now, the Bears have a dysfunctional offense — scoring just 15.7 points per game (27th in the league). The Bears’ 445 passing yards are also ranked 31st in the NFL. Only the New York Jets have been worse passing the football.
On Sept. 20, Justin Fields initially signaled out the coaching for the reason why he was thinking too much, which caused him to feel robotic and not playing like himself. Fields later backtracked those comments.
Regardless, Fields said what he did for a reason, and now Claypool has voiced his opinion as well.
After Chicago’s 27-17 loss to Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers put out a Mic’d up video with linebacker Devin White. The mic picked up a quick intercation that White had with DJ Moore.
White: “They ain’t using you right.”
Moore: “Oh, tell me about it.”
If the Bears’ offense continues to spiral in the wrong direction, it would not be surprising at all to hear more players voice their displeasure.
On the opposite side of things, the Bears coaches have been persistent that the offense is close to a potential breakthrough.
“I think we’re real close,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said on Monday. “I really do. I know a lot of people say it’s a far way away. I don’t believe that. I think we’re close. I think it’s more about the details of the individual person. If we just keep doing that right, right things are going to happen.”
Bears quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko also had a similar feeling about the direction of the offense and where it’s heading.
“I think we all have a belief in what we’re doing and where we are going,” Janocko said on Thursday. “I think we believe in the product that we’re trying to put together, and so if we didn’t think we were close, then, you know, we would have a lot of other problems. I think we all believe. I think everybody’s on board to make sure that we’re going to do what we can this week to score enough points to win the game.”
Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy even said on Thursday that the team was “in the process of building something special.”
Right now, the Bears aren’t building anything special on offense. This team desperately needs to find some success on that side of the ball or things may get a lot worse as the 2023 season continues.
