Steelers to welcome Chase Claypool to training camp during Bills’ joint practice

The Pittsburgh Steelers will welcome Chase Claypool to training camp on August 15. But no one will be able to see it, because it won’t be open to the public. The Steelers will host the Buffalo Bills for a joint workout, which will be held in a closed setting at Acrisure Stadium, and at least for now, Claypool is a member of the team.

It’s unfortunate that the Steelers and Bills are holding a closed-door practice, even though it’s likely to be a show of force. Joint practices are always popular, even if they rarely seem to be as productive as expected. There’s a reason they haven’t held one in several years.

As for Chase Claypool, he’s on his third team since the Steelers traded him in November 2022 for a second-round pick. They used that pick to draft CB Joey Porter Jr., while Claypool hasn’t had the same career.

After a very impressive rookie season with the Steelers in 2020, Claypool declined the offer in his second season. The Chicago Bears nevertheless offered them their second-round pick, and they jumped on it at the trade deadline.

Less than a year later, the Bears traded Claypool to the Miami Dolphins in a late-round pick swap, acquiring a sixth back while dealing a seventh. He caught four passes for 26 yards and was not re-signed after the season.

Claypool ultimately signed a rookie contract with the Steelers and went unsigned for the first month and a half of his free-agent deal this spring. He ultimately signed with the Bills in May, shortly after the 2024 NFL Draft, which he called an “incredible opportunity.” But is that really the case?

Claypool only signed a veteran salary-benefit contract with the Bills and did not yield the maximum signing bonus. He only received a $25,000 signing bonus and has a $75,000 roster bonus if he makes the team. In other words, he has no guarantee of making the team. Looking at the Bills’ roster, I’m not sure he’ll make it, either with the Steelers or with them.

The Steelers selected Chase Claypool in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he caught 62 passes for 873 yards and nine touchdowns (plus two rushing touchdowns). Over the next three years, he had 113 receptions for 1,388 yards and four touchdowns, plus 155 rushing yards.

Claypool, as it happens, has only been to Saint Vincent College once, in 2022. The Steelers didn’t travel for training camp in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, practicing in the stadium. As a result, he’s already pretty familiar with what it’s like to practice inside Acrisure Stadium, without fans, so this won’t be a new experience.

The Steelers haven’t seen Claypool since he was traded two years ago, and neither have their fans. While they won’t get to see him in training camp, Pittsburgh will host the Bills for a preseason game and they’ll get to see him up close for the first time in a different uniform.