The Saskatchewan Roughriders put Canadian receiver Chase Claypool on the team’s exclusive negotiation list, per sources. He was officially added on Tuesday, April 2.
The 25-year-old is currently a free agent following four seasons in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins.
Claypool exploded as a rookie after being selected in the second round, 49th overall during the 2020 NFL Draft by Pittsburgh. He caught 62 passes for 873 yards with nine touchdowns and scored two more along the ground, becoming the fourth receiver in NFL history to score 10 touchdowns in his first 10 career games.
The Abbotsford, B.C. native scored the longest NFL scrimmage touchdown ever by a Canadian player and became the first NFL rookie to score four touchdowns in a single game. His production remained steady in 2021 as he made 59 receptions for 860 yards and two touchdowns while carrying the ball 13 times for 96 yards, though his relationship with the Steelers appeared to sour from there.
Claypool was traded to Chicago in exchange for a second-round pick partway through the 2022 season after having a slow start. He dressed for seven games with the Bears but struggled to make an impact, catching 14 passes for 140 yards. The big target was traded again in 2023 to the Miami Dolphins for a sixth-round pick. In South Florida, he caught four passes for 26 yards but has not yet been retained after becoming a free agent.
Claypool put on a phenomenal performance at the 2020 NFL combine, running the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds at six-foot-four and 238 pounds. He recorded a 40.5-inch vertical leap, a 10-foot, six-inch broad jump and 19 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.
In 58 career NFL games, Claypool has recorded 175 receptions for 2,261 yards and 13 touchdowns. He has rushed 33 times for 171 yards and two scores while connecting on one passing touchdown. During his professional career to date, the ultra-athletic pass catcher has earned over $8 million USD.
