Chase Claypool is still trying to make good on his “top-three” wide receiver claim.
The 28-year-old, who hasn’t played in the NFL since 2023, worked out for the Colts on Thursday, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garalofo.
While Garalofo reported that Claypool left the Colts building without signing, he added that the wideout could still be in play for the team in the near future.
Claypool may have something left in the tank, but questionable effort, mental mistakes and injuries plagued him after a solid start to his career with the Steelers, with whom he made the dubious “top-three” receiver claim in 2022.
In a pivotal December game against the Vikings in 2021, the then-Pittsburgh wideout celebrated a late first-down catch instead of immediately popping back up, taking time off the clock and leading to a loss.
Right before the 2022 trade deadline, the Steelers traded Claypool to the Bears, as Chicago hoped the player who 1,733 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in two seasons with the Steelers could be a weapon for emerging quarterback Justin Fields.
Instead, Claypool’s tenure with the Bears was a nightmare in which he recorded just 191 receiving yards in 10 games and Chicago went winless.
Claypool dropped passes, ran lazy routes and blocked poorly during his time with the Bears, prompting the team to trade him to the Dolphins early in 2023.
The former second-round pick made just four catches in seven games for the Dolphins, and hasn’t returned to an NFL game since.
He was last spotted in May at Packers’ rookie camp on a tryout basis.
The odds of him being a “top-three” receiver are next to zero, but he could be a valuable depth piece for the Colts, who lost star Michael Pittman Jr. this offseason.
The Colts receiver room currently consists of Alec Pierce, Josh Downs and Ashton Dulin along with other depth pieces.
Pierce is recovering from left ankle surgery and isn’t practicing yet.
