Chase Claypool leaving baggage behind; determined to make it work with Bills

Orchard Park, N.Y. — Chase Claypool arrived in Buffalo without any illusions pertaining to the state of his NFL career.

Claypool, once an emerging superstar wide receiver with the Pittsburgh Steelers, is now catching passes from Josh Allen with the Buffalo Bills - his fourth team in three seasons.

The polarizing pass catcher’s career went sideways after an electric nine-touchdown rookie season. Since then, Claypool has double the number of dropped passes (10) as he has touchdown catches (4).

He’s hoping to resuscitate his career in Buffalo.

“I think it is tough believing the player that you are or can be, and falling short of those expectations, especially over the last two years,” Claypool said on Tuesday after the Bills broke practice during Week 1 of Organized Team Activities (OTAs).

“I know there are times when it can be frustrating if I’m not living up to my potential. But if it’s frustrating to the outside world, it’s even more frustrating for me. I understand where I should be.”

Claypool signed a one-year deal with the Bills on May 3 for the league minimum ($1.3 million), according to Spotrac.com. The Bills only guaranteed $25k for Claypool, who has an opportunity with the Bills that includes a jam-packed wide receivers room and a forgettable recent resume on the field.

Watching Claypool hold court on Tuesday after practice in a scrum of about 20 reporters, the pain of the last two seasons didn’t show. He was smiling ear to ear, eager for the chance to tell his story and why he decided to come to Buffalo. When his agent first contacted the Bills, Claypool didn’t know if there’d even be a job for him.

“They were a team that was interested, but not until after the draft,” he said. “So kind of had to roll the dice and wait a little bit. And hopefully, there was a spot available, and it worked out.”

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Chase Claypool (14) runs after making a catch during NFL football practice in Orchard Park, N.Y., Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)AP

The Bills drafted receiver Keon Coleman and then passed on the position with each of their next nine picks. Claypool got his chance a few days later, and Bills coach Sean McDermott was blown away by the player and the person he’s been in the three weeks since he arrived.

“(Chase) is on a mission right now to reclaim what he once was (in the NFL),” McDermott said. “And those are my words ... I would just say very impressed with his day-to-day approach, true pro, high character, smart player, and he’s been a good addition to our team.”

That doesn’t sound like the narrative formed around Claypool during his challenging four-year NFL career. Some fans think he’s a selfish player who doesn’t care about winning. But Claypool was drawn to the Bills because he’s been on the wrong end of their winning culture.

Now, he wants a taste.

“We’ve played Buffalo ... basically every year since I’ve been in the league. And they always get us, I feel like,” he said.

Claypool likes that Buffalo is a blue-collar town without the distractions of a big city like Miami, where he played in 2023 after an in-season trade sent him from Chicago to South Beach. Two years ago, the Bears, desperate for wide receivers, traded a second-round pick to the Steelers for Claypool. However, the former Notre Dame standout could never rekindle the spark he had as a rookie.

Last season with the Dolphins, Claypool started playing special teams again after starring in that role in college. Most receivers who have the season he did in 2020 stop playing teams. Claypool found his love for the game on special teams last season and hopes to win a job on four special teams units in Buffalo.

“When I did get the opportunity to be out there, I loved it, even if that was kick return, kickoff,” he said. “It’s really just making the most out of your situation and loving what you do. If I didn’t love the game, then it’d be easy to just fold.”

Claypool said his teammates and coaches in Buffalo have welcomed him, and he’s noticed the family environment within the team in his short time with the Bills. The turnover in the Bills’ receiver room puts everyone on an equal footing, giving everyone a chance to compete for a job and a role in Joe Brady’s offense.

A fresh start for the Bills and Claypool - just what the receiver was looking for.

“I don’t come in with any baggage from the outside world,” he said. “I’m not here to prove that I’m not what they say I am. I’m just here to be who I am and be a part of the team. ... I understand that I haven’t met expectations. And that’s why I work harder and harder every year. So I can meet and exceed those expectations.”

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