Chicago Bears wide receiver Chase Claypool has a bright career ahead of him and, given the way his team has attacked the market this offseason, success could come sooner rather than later.
Claypool set an enviable record in 2020 by becoming the first wide receiver in NFL history to score 10 touchdowns in the first 10 games of his professional career in the Super Bowl era.
The former Notre Dame star was born in Abbotsford, British Columbia, and played both basketball and football for the Abbotsford Senior Secondary School. He received offers from several top NCAA programs after setting multiple receiving records at the said institution but opted to play for the Fighting Irish.
Selected as the 49th overall pick in the NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers that year, the 24-year-old came in amid suggestions urging the team to have him transition to a tight end. Fortunately, it was not the advice they heeded as he would probably not have set the record referred to above.
Playing against the Jacksonville Jaguars on November 22, 2020, Claypool ended the Week 11 fixture with the aforementioned milestone, having caught a pass from former star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to score a 31-yard touchdown.
He became just the fourth rookie to achieve the feat, with former Green Bay Packers catch passer Bill Howton (1952), Houston Oilers receiver Bill Growman (1960), and Chicago’s Harlon Hill (1954) the only others. None of them played in the Super Bowl era, however.
The receiver had already set a Steelers record in Week 5 when he scored three receiving TDs and one rushing on 110 receiving yards to help the team beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-29. The feat saw him become the first Pittsburgh rookie to score four touchdowns in one game and the first Steeler to do so since Roy Jefferson in 1968.
There was another game in which he caught another pair of passes to score twice against the Cincinnati Bengals, and his performances helped the Steelers to a perfect 10-0 record on his own record-setting week.
It was quite a memorable season for Claypool and possibly all football fans in Canada. While the country has its own football league, Canadians follow the NFL closely, possibly even more than the resident CFL.
Given Chicago’s new look after trading away their first overall pick for the 2023 NFL Draft, it could be an interesting 2023/24 for Claypool. It’s also hardly unexpected that Claypool has followers in Ontario given his Canadian heritage. Sports betting in Ontario could gain even more popularity amongst NFL fans with the recent personnel changes for the Chicago Bears and their likelihood of success.
The player’s effectiveness in the open field helped transform Pittsburgh’s offense into one of the best passing groups in the NFL, even with Big Ben’s game in decline due to his aging. They finished the season with a 12-4 record to lead the AFC North but would exit the playoffs in the wild-card round, losing to the Cleveland Browns.
Still, it was a remarkable rookie season for Claypool, who scored nine receiving touchdowns and another two rushing on 873 receiving yards and 16 rushing yards. The Canadian made 62 receptions off 109 targets in his rookie season, averaging 14.1 yards per reception. What’s even more impressive is the fact that he only started six of his 16 games.
Unfortunately, his second season wasn’t as impressive as he only managed two touchdowns in 15 games and 13 starts, but he still registered 860 yards. Claypool was traded to Chicago last November, finishing the 2022 campaign with just one TD.
He’s yet to score a touchdown for the Bears, having played eight games. But the team was not built to succeed in 2022, which is how they ended up with the first overall pick in the first place.
The Bears have added D.J. Moore to their receiver group as part of the trade with the Panthers, which also saw them receive two first-round picks for this year’s draft, and could add more pass-catching talent in the draft later this month.
GM Ryan Poles have done an excellent job of surrounding quarterback Justin Fields with talent on the back of the QB’s massive leap in 2022. Fans could also see Claypool return to the form that made him the most exciting rookie wide receiver in 2020.
