Chicago Bears place Chase Claypool on PUP list

Chicago’s receiving corps has taken a hit this offseason. ESPN’s Field Yates reports that receiver Chase Claypool has been placed on the PUP list ahead of the start of training camp.

The Bears can activate Claypool once he passes his physical. The veteran receiver missed most of the offseason dealing with a soft tissue injury. A timetable for a potential return was not provided in the report.

Claypool, 25, was traded during the 2022 season from Pittsburgh. He totaled 14 catches for 140 yards in seven games for the Bears. However, with a full offseason to get acquainted with Justin Fields, there was an expectation that his production would increase this fall.

That might still be the case, but there’s no question his absence is at least a minor setback for the Bears. Fortunately, Chicago also has D.J. Moore and Darnell Mooney at the position.

A former second-round pick out of Notre Dame, Claypool enters his fourth year in the NFL in 2023. So far, he’s totaled 167 catches for 2,184 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s also rushed for 171 yards and two additional scores.

Even with Claypool out of the mix right now — we’ll see when he returns — Fields has a lot of confidence in his ability to lead the Bears’ offense.

Justin Fields makes bold claim as Bears QB

Everyone loves a confident quarterback. That’s exactly what Chicago has in Fields … and he’s not afraid to show it. In an appearance on the All Things Covered podcast, the quarterback made a bold prediction for the upcoming season.

Fields says he plans to be the first-ever Bears quarterback to throw for over 4,000 yards in a season. And he doesn’t want to wait long to accomplish the feat.

“I will — I plan on doing it this year, too. I plan on doing it this year,” Fields said.

If Fields wants to hit 4,000 passing yards in 2023, he’s going to have to essentially double his total from last year. He threw for 2,242 yards and 17 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. Over the first two years of his career, Fields has thrown for 4,112 yards.

So, can Fields match his career totals in one season? It would be an impressive feat.

More importantly, though, Fields owns a 5-20 record as the starting quarterback for Chicago. If the Bears start seeing better numbers in the win column, nobody will care if the quarterback hits the 4,000-yard milestone or not.