Recent Chicago Bears' trade bust gets another shot at redemption

Former Chicago Bears wide receiver Chase Claypool will get another opportunity at redemption in the NFL.

Despite speculation at the beginning of the NFL Free Agency period in March that Claypool may be headed to Canada, the underperforming wide receiver will get another opportunity to find success with an NFL team.

On Friday, the Bills announced they have signed Claypool to a one-year deal.

The Bills are taking a flier on the Bears' discarded wide receiver project.

Claypool was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft and appeared to be on the path to superstardom after hailing in 9 touchdowns with 873 receiving yards during his rookie season with the Steelers.

Claypool only had 2 receiving touchdowns in his sophomore season with the Steelers, but with 860 receiving yards, there was an expectation that he could still become a focal point in Pittsburgh's offense. That expectation was all but lost at the start of the 2022 season when Claypool quickly fell out of favor within the Steelers' offense and in the locker room with head coach Mike Tomlin.

Claypool's fallout with the Steelers created the opportunity for the Bears to acquire the former Notre Dame wide receiver for a second-round pick at the 2022 NFL Trade Deadline. Claypool was acquired during a stretch of games where it appeared that Justin Fields had turned a corner in his development and was the answer at the quarterback position.

That could not have been further from the truth as not only was Fields' success a blip on the radar, but Claypool proved to be a malcontent within the Bears' locker room. Claypool was traded to the Miami Dolphins shortly after the 2023 season, after calling out the Bears' coaching staff.

Claypool was an afterthought on the Dolphins' offense last season, and if his latest opportunity with the Bills ends in a similar fashion, that speculated trip to the Canadian Football League may be the next stop.