Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool didn’t play at all during the 2024 NFL season. In 2023, he was on the field for 12 games but only had eight catches for 77 yards.
However, on July 4, Claypool made it clear with an Instagram post that he’s ready to join a new team and make a significant impact again as he did early in his NFL career.
“My first season-ending injury in 18 years came at the worst possible time. I felt like God was playing a joke on me…” wrote Claypool.
“It’s been a year since I’ve posted on Instagram, and almost nobody knows what actually happened to me.
“Signing with Buffalo was the best thing that could’ve ever happened to me. I was the strongest, fastest, and most prepared I had ever been. I was playing my best football — working my way up from LAST (14th) string to taking first-team reps by camp. Most of all, I was doing it with a group of guys I truly appreciated…
“I tore a ligament and a tendon in my second toe, and have been rehabbing, working out and recovering every day for the past year. I am back to being the strongest and fastest I’ve ever been and couldn’t be more excited to step back out on the field and let my actions speak for themselves.”
Claypool’s last tenure with an NFL organization was with the Buffalo Bills last summer. That stint ended in August 2024 when the Bills released Claypool with an injury settlement. The move allowed the receiver to sign with another team, but he remained a free agent throughout the season.
WR Chase Claypool Pulls Curtain Behind Injury Status
Claypool was far from a sure thing to make the Bills roster last summer. But the receiver’s post clearly suggested he was on his way to doing that.
If true, then it’s likely other NFL teams didn’t take a flier on Claypool during the season last year because of his health, not due to his play or talent.
Claypool has experienced a fall from grace of sorts over the last few years. He had a sensational rookie season with the Steelers in 2020, scoring 11 total touchdowns while posting 62 catches for 873 yards.
Although his touchdown numbers plummeted, Claypool also had a strong second season with 59 receptions and 860 receiving yards.
But at the 2022 NFL deadline, the Steelers shipped Claypool to the Chicago Bears for a second-round pick. Over parts of two seasons with the Bears, he had just 18 catches for 191 yards and one touchdown in 10 games.
The Bears traded the receiver to the Miami Dolphins in a draft pick exchange less than a year after acquiring him. With Miami, Claypool had four receptions for 26 yards in nine games.
Claypool Ready for NFL Return?
The NFL experiences comeback stories every season. Claypool will only turn 27 years old on July 7, and he likely still has the raw skills to make an impact for a team this fall.
The question is will any team allow Claypool the opportunity to prove he’s in the best shape of his football career.
Not to take away from Claypool’s training camp performance last season, but the Bills didn’t exactly have a stacked receiver room in 2024. Claypool moving up Buffalo’s receiving depth chart for a few practices isn’t proof he’s ready for NFL stardom again.
The receiver must now prove he is ready to play a bigger receiver role after a significant injury too.
It’s still a long road back for Claypool. But he’s clearly itching for another opportunity in the league.
