Dolphins acquire receiver Claypool from Bears. Ex-teammate weighs in; Armstead to IR
The Dolphins added more talent to one of their best positions on Friday, acquiring receiver Chase Claypool from Chicago in a deal involving late-round picks.
A league source confirmed the deal.
The Dolphins sent a 2025 sixth-round pick to Chicago for Claypool, per The Athletic. The Bears sent Miami a 2025 seventh-round pick as part of the transaction.
In a corresponding move, the Dolphins placed left tackle Terron Armstead on injured reserve with a knee injury. He’s required to miss at least four games; McDaniel said the four-game absence is “pretty close” to the thinking of how long he will be out but that’s not certain.
As for Claypool, coach Mike McDaniel said the Dolphins “definitely were not looking for receiver help” but this was an opportunity to add a “fast” good player.
“We had an opportunity to upgrade our team with a talented guy that’s not easily accessible all the time,” McDaniel said. “It’s up to him to see what that looks like. It’s an exciting opportunity... We are very happy with our receiver core... [but] sometimes things come across your radar you weren’t even looking for. If it has a chance to make [you] better, you jump on that.”
Claypool has been criticized at times for allegedly not taking the game seriously enough, but McDaniel said he won’t be pre-judged and has a “clean slate. I’m pretty sure he is aware of the narratives out there.”
Claypool, 25, was told to stay away from the Bears during the past week after he criticized the team’s coaching.
He has 171 catches for 2,235 yards (13.1 average) and 13 touchdowns in 49 games and 32 starts for Pittsburgh and Chicago in a four-year carrer.
The Steelers drafted Claypool 49th overall in 2020 out of Notre Dame.
He caught 62 passes for 873 yards and nine TDs as a rookie, then caught 59 for 860 and two TDs in 2021. He made six starts as a rookie and 13 in his second season.
Claypool started eight games for Pittsburgh in 2022 (catching 32 passes for 311 yards) but was traded to the Bears on Nov. 1, 2022, in exchange for a second-round pick. He caught 14 passes for 140 yards in seven games and three starts for Chicago last season, after the trade.
This season hasn’t gone well for Claypool, who has four catches for 51 yards in three games.
Before Chicago’s Week 4 game, Claypool said the coaching staff wasn’t putting him in position to succeed.
The Bears then deactivated Claypool before their game against Denver last Sunday. He didn’t play in Chicago’s win Thursday against Washington.
Claypool is making $2.9 million this season; he will be a free agent after the season.
The 6-4 Claypool joins Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Braxton Berrios and Robbie Chosen as receivers on the Dolphins’ 53-man roster, pending a roster move.
Erik Ezukanma and River Cracraft are on injured reserve (non football injury list in Ezukanma’s case) and must miss at least three more games.
Among all players on injured reserve or non-football injured reserve, a team can designate eight to return during that season, after missing four weeks. Among Dolphins on IR, Armstead, Jalen Ramsey, Robert Jones, Jeff Wilson Jr. and Cracraft could fill five of those eight “short-term IR” slots. Ezukanma might, as well, if he’s able to return from a neck injury.
Cornerback Nik Needham, on the physically unable to perform list, can return to the 53-man roster anytime during the next 18 days and would not count toward that eight-man maximum short-term IR limit.
Dolphins tight end Durham Smythe, who played with Claypool for two years at Notre Dame, said “He was obviously very talented player physically. That was evident the minute he got there as a freshman. Obviously, he’s had a lot of success in the league. Things have gotten kind of it seems like a little odd lately. I don’t know all the specifics, not being around those teams or communicate with him lately. I’ve always liked him, liked being in the locker room with him.
“When he first got to Notre Dame, he was almost size he is now and was destroying safeties and corners in the run game which I think is a part of his game that not a lot of people talk about. Physically very talented. Good complement to what we have here. We’re excited to have him.”
Asked about his character, Smythe said: “It was always great. People have asked me around the building; I told them straight up he’s a good guy, really is. Good guy, smart guy.”
NEWS NOTE
McDaniel said Jaelan Phillips and Connor Williams - who have practiced on a limited basis this week - are “doing well. We’re seeing what [they] can do today while keeping them from setbacks. They are trying hard [to play Sunday].”
This story was originally published October 6, 2023 at 10:59 AM with the headline "Dolphins acquire receiver Claypool from Bears. Ex-teammate weighs in; Armstead to IR."
