The Chicago Bears started the 2023 season with a blowout loss to the Green Bay Packers. Making matters worse is the Pack did it without Aaron Rodgers at quarterback.
It appears he figuratively signed a quit claim deed of his ownership of the Bears over to Jordan Love.
Turns out Love is not trash like so many Bears fans had hoped. Love threw three touchdown passes in his first career start against the Chicago Bears. His debut in the rivalry was better than the man he replaced in Green Bay.
The Bears got their doors blown off because they looked unprepared, the game plan was awful, and the effort was poor. The effort was not there no matter what head coach Matt Eberflus says.
Matt Ebeflus says the effort was there by his players. It just comes down to being able to execute. #Bears
— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) September 11, 2023
One player who showed no effort was Chase Claypool.
The wide receiver was a non-factor. He was targeted just two times with no receptions. Claypool played as if he had a 6 p.m. dinner reservation to attend.
.@dan_bernstein on Bears WR Chase Claypool's effort in his team's loss Sunday: "That was an absolute waste of a professional workday. There is no excuse, none at all."
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) September 11, 2023
Claypool was "half-assing routes," @LaurenceWHolmes added.
Listen to full segment: https://t.co/mtyZHMPqtL pic.twitter.com/ldcYyuo69H
Maybe Claypool hates blocking as he was asked to do that with all the screens offensive coordinator Luke Getsy called. Claypool’s effort was so poor it was called out (without his name being said) on national television.
Thoughts on the Chicago Bears…. pic.twitter.com/5epfG7l5kK
— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) September 11, 2023
You would think Claypool would play harder since he is in a contract year. Instead, he played like the guy that the Pittsburgh Steelers could not wait to unload.
Making it even worse is the Chicago Bears gave up a second-round pick to get Claypool at the trade deadline last season. It turns out general manager Ryan Poles traded the No. 32 pick for a player who has produced just 14 catches and 140 yards.
Giving up a premium draft pick for this type of production is pointing toward the Chicago Bears being the losers in this trade. That pick could have been used to get a young edge rusher. Instead, the Bears have a wide receiver who has more sideline complaints than touchdown catches with the team.
It is disappointing to see Claypool play with such a lackadaisical effort considering he was having a strong training camp before it was cut short with an injury. However, he was getting into scuffles with his teammates.
Maybe playing poorly against the Packers will be a wake-up call. Hopefully, this gets Claypool to play motivated and the Bears can still salvage something out of this deal. Right now, it is seriously trending towards looking like one of the worst transactions Ryan Poles has made.