Bears receiver Chase Claypool and linebacker T.J. Edwards had been jawing at each other during Wednesday’s training camp practice when the Bears ran a toss play to Velus Jones.
Claypool blocked Edwards. The linebacker was knocked to the ground. He jumped up and shoved Claypool.
The receiver kept talking.
“You’ve gotta watch him — he’s a hothead for sure,” receiver Darnell Mooney said of Claypool. “You’ve got to calm him. … He just needs somebody to pull you back and be like, ‘Hey, chill out.’ I’ll be that guy for him for sure.”
Mooney, who is admittedly mild-mannered, smiled when describing Claypool’s smack talk. On a day when the defense was better, the offense needed more of that.
“Chase is a very emotional player. …” quarterback Justin Fields said. “Even [Wednesday] he was getting into it with the defense a little bit. I would say Chase is one big one.”
Other Bears players had minor beefs during a practice that ran 2 hours, 20 minutes. Receiver Velus Jones shoved a group of defenders after they celebrated a near-interception.