The Miami Dolphins traded for Chase Claypool earlier this week, and I think it caught most of the NFL world off guard.

Miami doesn’t need another wide receiver.

Claypool was given away by the Bears, meaning no other team was willing to give them anything of value for him.

So, that begs the question, what did Miami really get in Claypool?

Yes, in 2020, Claypool’s rookie season, he caught nine touchdowns and put the NFL on notice that he was the next big thing.

That was 2020 and a long time ago.

Since then, he has caught only five touchdowns and caused so many problems that two of the oldest organizations with rich traditions couldn’t move on from him fast enough.

So, what went wrong with Claypool?

From all reports, he doesn’t take his craft seriously. He doesn’t put in the work.

He enjoys the perks of what being an NFL player brings you but doesn’t do what it takes to stay in the NFL.

There have been reports that Chase Claypool spends more time on his social media channels than he does preparing to play and ensuring he understands the playbook and is in the right physical shape.

One thing that soured Pittsburgh on Claypool came in 2021 when Pittsburgh was losing to Minnesota late; they were running a two-minute drill, and after a catch, Claypool did a 1st down celebration as the clock was running, and the Steelers were scrambling trying to score. He was more concerned with his first down celebration than the team scoring and trying to win.

In 2022, they shipped Claypool to Chicago for a 2nd round pick. And in less than a year, the Bears told Claypool not to show up to the team facility, and they gave (yes, gave) him to Miami for only a pick swap in the 2025 draft with 6th and 7th round picks.

Think about that: the Bears gave up a 2nd round pick and were so annoyed with this guy they literally gave him away in less than 365 days.

This leads to the question, what the hell is Miami getting with Claypool?

With Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Braxton Berrios all clearly ahead of him on the depth chart, and Robbie Chosen/Anderson (or whatever his name is today) and Cedric Wilson ahead of him on the depth chart now, is there a path for Claypool to play? Or get on the field? Or even be active for games on Sundays?

Claypool will have to find time to learn a new playbook, and a complicated one at that, and then perform at practice at a level that warrants him getting playing time.

And nothing he has done in this league since 2020 tells me this will happen.

Now, maybe Frank Smith and Mike McDaniel will devise a play or two dedicated to him that they will “find a way” to use in a package. Sure, great. Maybe we see that in a month…maybe!

But I think if Dolphins fans expect Claypool to see the field immediately and contribute in any way, they may need to re-set their expectations.

I understand why Miami traded for Claypool. They gave up literally nothing; he is in the final year of his deal; if he continues to be a toxic player and locker-room cancer, you can easily move on from him. I don’t know what he brings to the team on the field. And can you trust him to actually take his job seriously to put in the work to actually get on the field.

Time will tell, I guess, but I don’t have high hopes.