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Chase Claypool was once regarded as one of the most promising young receivers in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers before quickly becoming a laughingstock and flaming out with the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins. After the Buffalo Bills released him and him subsequently sitting out the entire 2024 season, Claypool is ready to attempt a comeback.
Claypool broke the silence on his yearlong absence from the NFL with a lengthy post on Instagram. He reflected on his time with the Bills and his subsequent recovery from the season-ending injury that led to his release.
“My first season-ending injury in 18 years came at the worst possible time,” Claypool wrote. “I felt like God was playing a joke on me… It's been a year since I've posted on Instagram, and almost nobody knows what actually happened to me… I tore a ligament and a tendon in my left 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.”
Chase Claypool yesterday on his time with the bills, his injury, his surgery, and more:
(Via his instagram) pic.twitter.com/QnNG1TZjsT
— BillsMuse (@BillsMusee) July 5, 2025
Claypool made waves in the Bills' 2024 offseason, where he claimed he “went from last string to taking first-team reps.” However, after suffering his injury, the team placed him on injured reserve before releasing him during the preseason. Claypool still thanked the organization for reviving his career and giving him a new outlook.
Still just 26, Claypool believes he will land with a new team sooner rather than later. He is just five years removed from receiving consensus All-Rookie honors with 873 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 2020.
Chase Claypool's unsuccessful Bears, Dolphins tenures
While Claypool is coming off a somewhat high point with the Bills, he was significantly less successful with the Bears and Dolphins. His two stints were so listless that many fans forget they even existed.
After chemistry issues caused the end of his run with the Steelers, Claypool found himself traded midway through the 2022 season. He quickly went from being a starter with Pittsburgh to riding the Bears' bench. Claypool ended his third season with just 79 total receiving yards, including just 29 through seven games in Chicago.
Three games into the 2023 season, Claypool was traded for a second time. He moved south to the Dolphins, where he continued to be nothing more than a deep rotational piece. Claypool's 2023 campaign managed to be even worse, resulting in just 21 receiving yards on the year.
