Mandatory minicamp officially kicked off for the Chicago Bears with all of their players in attendance at Halas Hall. But while everyone was accounted for, some players weren’t practicing for a variety of reasons. That included wide receiver Chase Claypool, who is said to be dealing with a few nagging ailments.
Speaking with reporters following Tuesday’s practice, head coach Matt Eberflus revealed Claypool has been sidelined due to a few minor injuries. “He’s dealing with a few things right now,” Eberflus said unprompted. “He’s working with the training staff [but] he is here.”
Eberflus was asked by Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times about his level of concern for Claypool’s injuries and he downplayed the severity. “Just a few minor things he’s working with,” Eberflus said. “What’s great about this time of year is we have the luxury of him working with the trainers. He’s not on a time crunch, and we can get him fully healthy working into the summer because we have 40 days when we break from here to get ready for that report to training camp. So, that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Claypool participated in the early portions of organized team activities (OTAs) and earned rave reviews from teammates and coaches but has been absent on the field over the last couple of weeks. The hope is he can work through his ailments and be good to go once training camp begins in late July.
The Bears acquired Claypool during the 2022 season via trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers and expect him to be a major part of the offense in 2023. The fourth-year receiver played in seven games for the Bears last season, totaling 14 receptions for 140 yards.
