Bears coach Matt Eberflus announces WR Chase Claypool will remain away from team this week

Chicago Bears wide receiver Chase Claypool’s absence from the team will continue in Week 5.

Matt Eberflus on Monday announced Claypool will remain away from the team this week as they prepare to face Washington on Thursday night. The Bears head coach also offered some clarity behind his decision to have Claypool inactive for this past Sunday’s game.

“To correct the record for Chase Claypool, we did tell him not to be here for the weekend, including the game. We told him he’d be inactive on Saturday,” Eberflus told reporters. “This morning, we informed him that he’s not gonna be here this week for the game, as well. And we just feel like that’s best for the team at this time. Again, (general manager) Ryan (Poles) and I have informed him of that, and that’s where it is. So we feel like that’s best for the team right now.”

Claypool’s absence came after he made comments to the media last week wondering if he’s being put in the best position to succeed by the Bears coaching staff. The Bears WR has recorded four receptions (14 targets) for 51 yards and a touchdown in three games this season.

“When you’re evaluating players in meetings, in practice, in walkthroughs, all those things, it’s important that you evaluate the entire body of work, right?” Eberflus said. “And we just feel that right now Chase is gonna be out of the building is best for our football team.”

Chicago blew a 21-point lead against the Broncos on Sunday, which momentarily put the Claypool situation on the backburner until Monday morning. Eberflus deflected any questions surrounding Claypool’s availability after Week 5, mentioning Poles “does all the trades and transactions and we’ll decide that as we go forward.” Poles acquired Claypool from the Steelers in a midseason trade last year in exchange for a 2023 second-round pick (No. 32 overall).

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday that Claypool’s future with Chicago is very much in limbo, which adds to a tumultuous 2023 season so far for the winless Bears.

Cole Kmet feels the situation is prompted by the results of a Bears team that hasn’t won a game since Oct. 24, 2022.

“I go back to the losing. I think losing can be hard for guys to deal with,” the Bears tight end said Monday, via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. “It’s been hard for me to manage but you’ve got to find ways to get back to work, clear your mind, every day. It’s hard — look, I haven’t won a game in almost a year now and trust me I take it home with me and it hurts, man. It hurts. It’s hard to deal with it, but we’ve all gotta be adults about it and be able to move on and be able to trust the process set.

“That can be hard to do sometimes when things aren’t going your way and maybe you’re not getting the targets you want, and you’re not winning, all those things kinda add up and you get frustrated, but you have to be a man about it, be an adult about it and be able to reset your mind each and every week and just look to improve yourself individually, each and every day.”