The Miami Dolphins are making another addition to their stacked receiving core, as they’ve acquired Chase Claypool from the Chicago Bears.
To complete the deal, the Dolphins will receive a seventh-round pick from the Bears in 2025, and the Bears will receive a sixth-round pick from the Dolphins the same year.
BREAKING: The Chicago Bears are trading WR Chase Claypool and a 2025 7th round pick to the Miami Dolphins for a 2025 6th round pick
— Dolphin Nation (@Dolphin_Nation) October 6, 2023
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel spoke about the news on Friday.
Mike McDaniel on Chase Claypool: “That’s an exciting opportunity … It felt like a situation where there might be a role to carve out for him. For the player, you have a guy who wants to take things into his own hands and have an opportunity to be on a team.”
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) October 6, 2023
McDaniel on Claypool’s purported character/work ethic concerns: “There’s a balance with that. Everybody hears things, so I think it’s very important that you let people tell you who they are — and I see better than I hear.”
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) October 6, 2023
Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill also offered his approval of the trade.
Chase Claypool I like it 🥹
— Ty Hill (@cheetah) October 6, 2023
Claypool’s relationship with the Bears had seemingly become fractured, so a fresh start makes sense for all involved parties. The 25-year-old will certainly look to make the most of his change of scenery with the Dolphins.
Claypool has had a quiet season so far, catching just four passes for 51 yards and one score across three games. He didn’t play in Week 4 or Week 5 for the Bears.
Last season, he appeared in seven games for the Bears after being traded to Chicago from the Pittsburgh Steelers. His seven appearances for Chicago last season were relatively quiet as well, as he caught 14 passes for 140 yards and no touchdowns.
In total, he appeared in 10 games for the Bears, and they went 0-10 in those contests.
But the former second-round pick certainly has the talent to succeed at the NFL level, as evidenced by his time with the Steelers. Over a little more than two seasons with Pittsburgh, he caught 153 passes for 2,044 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The Dolphins will look to tap into that version of Claypool during the remainder of the 2023 campaign. The receiver is set to become a free agent this coming offseason, so he may simply be a rental of sorts for Miami.
Of course, if he ends up having a productive few months with the Dolphins, they could look to keep him around beyond this season. At 25 years old, he may have plenty of good years ahead of him in the NFL.
Miami is 3-1 on the season after its Week 4 loss and will look to move to 4-1 during its Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants. The Dolphins don’t face the Bears this season, so Claypool won’t have an immediate chance at a revenge game.
But if he can embrace a winning mentality and focus on the task at hand, he could prove to be a good fit with the Dolphins.
