What happened to Chase Claypool? Why former NFL WR is trying to make NFL comeback with Packers

Chase Claypool is back on the NFL gridiron... sort of. Claypool was invited to the Packers' rookie minicamp on a tryout basis on Friday.

A second-round pick in 2020, Chase Claypool spent two and a half seasons in Pittsburgh, where he earned a starting job. With two 800-yard campaigns in his first two seasons, he looked to be an excellent wide receiver for years to come. 

After a trade to the Bears in 2022, Claypool struggled to maintain the same production. After a disappointing 2023 season, split between the Bears and the Dolphins, Claypool never played in another NFL game. 

Well, in 2026 that could change. There is far from a guarantee that Claypool will make the Packers' roster. Although he does provide a potential low-floor, high-ceiling fit for a team like Green Bay, whose passing game was par for the course last season.

Chase Claypool a tryout player at Packers rookie camp pic.twitter.com/CHcJdWLtnx

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What happened to Chase Claypool?

Simply put, Claypool's production trailed off drastically in 2022 and 2023. Claypool's first two seasons earned him the regular starting job, and while he was serviceable through the first half of 2022, once he was traded to the Chicago Bears, he was never the same.

In 2022, Claypool went from 311 receiving yards in eight games with the Steelers to 140 receiving yards in seven games with the Bears. The next year, Claypool managed just 77 receiving yards in 12 games for the Bears and Dolphins. 

This falloff is encapsulated by Claypool's trade value. In 2022, he was worth a second-round draft pick. Then, in 2023, the Bears could only get a sixth-round pick in return. 

Claypool tried to make the Bills' roster in 2024, signing a one-year deal. After he was sidelined by injuries, however, the Bills released him in August 2024. 

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When was the last time Chase Claypool played in NFL?

Claypool last played in an NFL game in 2023, although he was on the roster of the Buffalo Bills in 2024. Injuries kept him from competing that season. 

"Signing with Buffalo was the best thing that could've ever happened to me," Claypool said on his Instagram in July 2025. "I was the strongest, fastest, and most prepared I had ever been."

In 2025, Claypool spent a year away from the NFL to rehab and recover from a torn ligament and tendon in his toe. Now, with a year to rest and return to form, he will try to show Green Bay that he can still be the Claypool of old.

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Chase Claypool stats