Bears’ Chase Claypool faces criticism after loss to Packers

Chase Claypool – refer to caption – CC BY-SA

Wide receiver Chase Claypool is facing backlash from fans following the Chicago Bears’ 38-20 home loss to the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field on Sunday. During the game, Claypool had zero catches on two targets.

Several videos circulating on social media show that his performance lacked effort, particularly in blocking during a tactical screenplay.

NFL Network analyst Kyle Brandt commented on a player’s perceived lack of effort in the game. Everyone who responded asserted that he was referring to Claypool.

“There is a player on the Bears, and he’s just sleepwalking out there. We all see it. He plays offense. I’m not even gonna name him. If you’re watching, you know,” Brandt said on an X post.

NFL Draft analyst Mike Renner shared Brandt’s comments on X, along with a video highlighting Claypool’s struggles in blocking and route running. Renner captioned it with “Pick 32.”

Furthermore, during an episode of “Good Morning Football,” Brandt discussed an unnamed player from the Bears who appeared disinterested and not committed during the game. This led to speculation that this player might not have a long-term future with the team.

“If you watched five seconds of this game you know who I’m talking about,” Brandt said. “I don’t know what this player’s doing but I know he’s not trying, and I don’t know if he’s gonna be out there much longer.”

Claypool was traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Bears. In exchange, the Steelers received Chicago’s second-round pick, the 32nd overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. With that pick, Pittsburgh selected cornerback Joey Porter Jr.

Previous criticism

Claypool has faced criticism while playing for Chicago before. During last year’s 41-10 loss to the Detroit Lions on New Year’s Day, he had an emotional outburst on the sidelines.

He later explained his perspective to reporters, expressing frustration with the team’s performance.

“I was all fired up because we can’t lose that bad, ever,” he said back in January.

He stressed the need for determination to prevent such losses, highlighting the importance of recognizing critical moments in the game when they need to score. He urged the team to react with a sense of urgency when confronted with challenges on the field.