The Miami Dolphins have a slew of players who are expected to hit free agency this month, including a wide receiver who was acquired in the middle of the season – Chase Claypool.
Claypool, 25, was originally a second-round selection of the Pittsburgh Steelers following a collegiate career at Notre Dame.
He burst on the scene in 2020, recording 62 receptions for 873 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie, and it looked like he was on a trajectory to be one of the best in the game. Instead of taking off over the next two seasons, his production waned, and he was traded to the Chicago Bears midway through the 2022 season for a second-round pick (used on cornerback Joey Porter Jr.)
Claypool’s numbers dipped even more in Chicago, as he recorded just 18 receptions for 191 yards and a touchdown in 10 games.
Miami traded a 2025 sixth-round pick for Claypool and a 2025 seventh-round pick this past October. Injuries kept him out of some games, and he was a healthy scratch for others. He ended up appearing in nine contests for the Dolphins, bringing in four receptions for 26 yards.
Mike McDaniel’s team only has two experienced wideouts returning next year (Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle), so they could use the depth. Claypool will be inexpensive, but considering how his career has gone to this point, it feels unlikely that he’ll ever recapture that rookie magic.
The Dolphins could still bring him back on a cheap, one-year deal with no guarantees to have him compete for a spot on the roster or practice squad, but he shouldn’t be a large part of the team’s future plans.
