Chase Claypool trade rumors have been all over the place this year, and with the deadline approaching a line has been drawn in the sand.
After weeks of increasingly wild rumors, the NFL trade deadline is almost here. It sounds like those expecting a baseball-style fireworks show at the deadline will be sorely disappointed, though.
Nothing encapsulates the fervor of sexy trade deadline rumors failing to translate into anything more than the Chase Claypool drama.
After a slow start to the season, the Steelers young star receiver was tossed into trade rumors and the wind from that mill carried his name all across the NFL. At points this month he was connected to the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and Kansas City Chiefs, but it appears that despite all of the hullabaloo about a potential Chase Claypool deal, nothing is going to happen.
According to NFL Network’s trio of insiders — Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelisserio, and Mike Garafolo — the Steelers are not expected to reach a deal that sends Claypool out of Pittsburgh before the deadline passes on Tuesday.
The Steelers receiver has been the subject of trade talks for weeks, but barring a dramatic change, it doesn’t appear he’s going anywhere, sources say.
This is an immediate bummer for the Green Bay Packers, who have been not only in the market for a receiver but were specifically tied to Claypool. With the Steelers now seemingly unwilling to deal him, Green Bay will have to shift its focus to Brandin Cooks.
Beyond the letdown of the endless trade rumors amounting to nothing more than hot air, the Steelers not trading Claypool makes a ton of sense.
Fans might be frustrated with Claypool, but the offensive tide has changed in Pittsburgh. The Claypool rumors kicked up while Mitchell Trubisky was still the Steelers starting quarterback, but Kenny Pickett has since taken over.
With Pickett leading the offense for the foreseeable future — and for the Steelers hopefully for many years to come — keeping a weapon like Claypool makes more sense than trading him for draft capital.
If there’s a team that has historically drafted well no matter where it’s picking, it’s the Steelers. Claypool’s return likely wouldn’t have enough value to offset taking him out of Pickett’s offense — at least not before seeing whether or not he’s a piece that fits.
