4 Chicago Bears who could earn an extension this offseason

The Chicago Bears could look to extend Chase Claypool

Another wide receiver in a similar boat is Chase Claypool. The Chicago Bears traded what ended up being the first pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. To make it a little worse, with the Miami Dolphins forfeiting their first-round pick this year, that 33rd pick is essentially the 32nd player to come off the board. The Steelers must be excited, but there is still some hope for Claypool here in Chicago.

Being flung into any new position takes a little time to adjust. Chase Claypool jumped ship from Pittsburgh and flew into Chicago. You could see some playcalling devoted to getting Claypool acclimated as soon as possible, but that was short-lived. Claypool went from seeing 85% to 95% of the offensive snaps in Pittsburgh to only 35% to 45% in Chicago. Luke Getsy finally got him into the 60% range before the season ended, but it was too little too late.

I understood the trade for Claypool at the time, but as of now, Pittsburgh looks to have fleeced Ryan Poles. The hope is that with a full offseason under his belt, Claypool will develop better chemistry with Justin Fields and also fully grasp the Chicago Bears playbook. If that happens, he could see an extension during the 2023 regular season.