MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins have acquired wide receiver Chase Claypool in a trade with the Chicago Bears, pending a physical, the teams announced Friday.
Miami gets Claypool and a 2025 seventh-round draft pick in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick.
Claypool was a 2020 second-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was traded to Chicago last November.
The 25-year-old has caught 171 passes for 2,235 yards and 13 touchdowns. He's also carried the football 33 times for 171 yards and two touchdowns.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters Friday that gaining Claypool is "kind of like Christmas."
"We definitely weren't looking for receiver help," McDaniel said. "It wasn't in that nature at all. Very, very happy with our receiving corps. But I think one thing that (general manager) Chris (Grier) and I have always agreed upon in how we operate and do business is you have to stay steadfast to the commitment of making your team as good as it can be. Sometimes things come across your radar that you weren't even looking for. But when you assess it, if it falls under the category of this has a chance to make us better, then you jump on that."
Claypool appeared to fall out of favor with the Chicago coaching staff. He was a healthy scratch during last Sunday's loss to the Denver Broncos and wasn't with the team for its 40-20 victory against the Washington Commanders on "Thursday Night Football."
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus told Claypool not to come to the team facility this week.
"We thought it was best for the team," Eberflus said Monday.
McDaniel said he wasn't too concerned with the situation in Chicago.
"Everybody hears things," he said. "I think it's very, very important that you let people tell you who they are. I see better than I hear. There's so many things that can go on, certain circumstances. From my vantage point, I looked at it like this: I'm not going to make myself wrong with something that I don't know by judging X, Y or Z. We give you the opportunity to define who you are in the most honest, organic, real way possible. That's an open mind, clean slate, let's go."
Claypool now joins a receiving corps that includes seven-time Pro Bowl player Tyreek Hill and former first-round pick Jaylen Waddle, who set the NFL record for most receptions by a rookie (104) in 2021.
"I'm excited," McDaniel said. "It's always a nice litmus test for your locker room when guys come in. You can see where they're at and I know I'm very confident that our guys will embrace him and will move forward with a new teammate."
