Other NFL teams suspect Bears will cut Chase Claypool: reports originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

The Chase Claypool experiment looks like it will soon reach its ending point.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler recently reported he's spoken to other teams who believe the Bears will cut Claypool.

"Teams I've talked to believe the Bears will end up releasing him, which would mean he'd outstayed his welcome in two spots (Chicago and Pittsburgh). Perhaps Claypool's speed/size combination will reignite his career somewhere," Fowler wrote on Monday.

MORE: Bears' Chase Claypool saga: What happened, why, and what comes next for team, WR

The Bears announced before their 31-28 loss to the Denver Broncos that Claypool would be a healthy inactive for the game. They also requested he stay home and not attend the game.

On the ensuing day, the Bears said Claypool would not be in the building leading up to the team's Thursday night game against the Washington Commanders. Claypool, obviously, will not play in Thursday's game, either.

Rumors swirled before the Broncos game that the Bears were attempting to trade Claypool. That seems likely --- though unconfirmed --- considering the Bears coughed up a second-round draft pick in the 2023 NFL draft to acquire the wide receiver from the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022.

Should they yield any sort of offer for Claypool, it's all the more likely Ryan Poles and the front office will jump on it. However, considering his poor reputation within the league, the Bears will more than likely end up releasing him.

This is all speculation. But, for a player as talented as Claypool who's been, and will be, made a healthy inactive for two straight games doesn't bode well for staying on the team. All signs point to Claypool's inevitable release at some point soon.

An unfortunate number of events on Claypool's end brought us to this point.

During Week 1's contest against the Green Bay Packers, he showed little effort. He dropped a pass, failed to get open and missed several key blocks. He later apologized to the team and the front office for his performance.

He improved during Week 2, catching three passes for 36 yards and a touchdown. Though, a 31-point loss to the Kansas City Chiefs the next week motivated Claypool to make some controversial remarks about his role and his perceived usage in the offense.

"I wouldn’t say that," Claypool said when asked if Chicago isn't his ideal situation. "I think every situation has the ability to be ideal and I think we’re just working towards that. I’m not going to say that. I wouldn’t say it’s not an ideal place for me. Obviously there’s other places – you can say, ‘Oh, I want to be on the best offense with the highest passing yards’ but that doesn’t happen in football. You just have to make due with what you got."

When asked if he feels the Bears are using him to the best of their ability in offense, he shook his head and responded "no."

Following those comments --- though unrelated, according to Matt Eberflus --- the Bears made Claypool a healthy inactive leading up to the Broncos game.

Feels like time is the only factor in Claypool's dwindling future with the Bears.

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