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Bills OC describes WR Chase Claypool’s IR placement as ‘unfortunate’

Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady was disappointed to see wide receiver Chase Claypool placed on the injured reserve list.

Kyle Silagyi

Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Chase Claypool had positioned himself as well as any reclamation project possibly could entering the Buffalo Bills’ 2024 training camp.

The once immensely promising wide receiver inked a one-year deal with the Bills in May, setting the stage for a potential career renaissance that, from a 30,000-foot view, seemed improbable. The former second-round draft pick was, just a few years ago, viewed as one of the NFL’s premier young players after an 889-scrimmage yard, 11-total touchdown rookie season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. His total yardage increased in the 2021 NFL season, but his scoring production plummeted (dropping from 11 total scores to two); this, combined with looming effort concerns, prompted many within the Pittsburgh faithful to quickly sour on the big-bodied pass-catcher they had once viewed as an integral roster piece.

Persisting character and effort questions magnified by the emergence of rookie receiver George Pickens led to the end of Claypool’s time in Pittsburgh; the team dealt the then-third-year receiver to the Chicago Bears midway through the 2022 campaign, causing his young career to further unravel. He caught just 18 passes for 191 yards over parts of two seasons in Chicago before being dealt to the Miami Dolphins in 2023.

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After recording 1,845 scrimmage yards and 13 total scores over his first two seasons, Claypool has since totaled just 587 yards and two scores. It was, thus, understandable when general football fans laughed upon his One Bills Drive onboarding; given his recent adversity, the idea of the pass-catcher carving out a spot in Buffalo’s revamped receiving corps seemed unfeasible.

He quickly silenced doubters, sticking out throughout the team’s May OTAs as he consistently made impressive plays. Head coach Sean McDermott praised his work ethic, suggesting that Claypool, after a tumultuous several-year stint, was finally positioned to realize his potential.

He would never get that opportunity, suffering a toe injury early in Buffalo’s training camp. Originally classified as a “day-to-day” ailment, Claypool missed the team’s preseason opener and was placed on injured reserve Tuesday morning; he could, in theory, reach an injury settlement with the Bills and join another club (or re-sign with Buffalo), but at the current moment, his 2024 campaign looks to be over.

Chase Claypool
Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

It’s an inauspicious development for Claypool, who's been robbed of the opportunity to rejuvenate his professional career. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady spoke about Claypool’s situation during his Tuesday press conference, stating that the 26-year-old had been doing everything necessary to position himself for a fruitful return. 

“When we signed Chase, I sat down with him, honesty, transparent, he did everything we asked on the football field and in the classroom and everything like that,” Brady said. “A lot of times, you can’t control injuries, and just the reality of the situation with it. Very pleased with when he was out on the field and then how he’s handled it when he’s been injured, staying in it, being ready to go when his time would come. It’s unfortunate.”

Claypool’s placement on the injured reserve list does not necessarily signal the end of his time in Orchard Park, but it significantly muddies the waters. He’ll now either spend the 2024 campaign on the Bills’ IR list or soon reach an injury settlement with the team.

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Kyle Silagyi
KYLE SILAGYI

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