Bears Receivers Coach Expects Chase Claypool to Play Against Buccaneers Despite Benching Talk

Bears wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert said Thursday that he expects Chase Claypool to be active for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers. His comments came one day after head coach Matt Eberflus left open the possibility of benching the receiver following a disappointing first game of the season.

"He's been practicing and taking all the normal reps," Tolbert said.

Claypool missed blocks on screens and running plays in Chicago's 38-20 loss to the Packers on Sunday. He was targeted twice and did not catch a pass. Tolbert said Claypool was frustrated with his own showing but that he was proud of the way the receiver has worked this week. According to Tolbert, Claypool has been the first receiver to arrive in the meeting room each day.

"Actually, his attitude has been really good this week," Tolbert said. He added that Claypool hustled more than any other receiver on the field during Thursday's practice, which he called an improvement. "You play like you practice. He's practicing that way, so I'm hoping he'll play that way."

For a second straight day, Claypool did not speak with reporters after practice.

In other roster news, the Bears placed cornerback Kyler Gordon on injured reserve after he hurt his right hand against Green Bay. The hand was bandaged and put in a splint before the game ended, and Gordon underwent testing on it this week. Chicago promoted practice-squad cornerback Greg Stroman to fill his roster spot. Gordon, a second-round pick in 2022 out of Washington, can return after missing four games.

In the lineup, the Bears could turn to Josh Blackwell in the slot, though he missed practice with a hamstring problem he suffered Sunday.

Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said he was preparing for bed Monday night when he learned that Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers was presumed to have suffered an Achilles injury. Getsy is a good friend of Rodgers from their time together in Green Bay. "That's the unfortunate part of our game," Getsy said, adding that he sent Rodgers a message saying he would come back better than ever.

Safety Eddie Jackson said he felt "sick" for Rodgers, noting that he suffered a season-ending injury at the same stadium, MetLife Stadium, last year. "I know it's a longtime rivalry," Jackson said, "but you still don't want to see players go down."

Elsewhere on the practice report, defensive coordinator Alan Williams was not at Halas Hall for what the team described as personal reasons. Tight end Marcedes Lewis, 39, had a veteran rest day. Linebacker Dylan Cole, signed as a special-teams standout, practiced fully for the first time since last month after recovering from a hamstring injury.