Pittsburgh traded Chase Claypool to Chicago for the Bears'…
Pittsburgh traded Chase Claypool to Chicago for the Bears' 2023 second-round pick, which finished No. 32 overall and became Joey Porter Jr. Claypool played only 10 games for Chicago, catching 18 passes for 191 yards and one touchdown before the Bears traded him to Miami. Porter has started 41 games through three seasons with 31 passes defensed and three interceptions. The trade became a franchise-level win for Pittsburgh.
Chicago Bears Received
- player Chase Claypool
Pittsburgh Steelers Received
- pick 2023 2nd round pick (32nd overall, Joey Porter )
Trade Analysis
Pittsburgh traded Chase Claypool to Chicago at the 2022 deadline for the Bears' original 2023 second-round pick. At the time, Chicago was trying to add a young receiver around Justin Fields, while Pittsburgh had seen rookie George Pickens emerge and was willing to move a former second-round receiver before his contract expired.
The Bears' gamble unraveled quickly. Claypool played 10 games for Chicago across parts of 2022 and 2023, catching 18 passes for 191 yards and one touchdown. His role deteriorated early in the 2023 season, and Chicago traded Claypool plus a 2025 seventh-round pick to Miami for a 2025 sixth. The Bears therefore paid what became the first selection of the second round for less than 200 receiving yards and then accepted a much smaller return to move on.
Pittsburgh received unusually favorable draft positioning because Chicago finished 3-14. The second-round pick became No. 32 overall, and the Steelers selected Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Porter immediately earned PFWA All-Rookie honors and became a regular starter. Through three seasons he has played 47 games with 41 starts, recorded 31 passes defensed and intercepted three passes. In 2025 alone, he posted a career-high 14 passes defensed.
The outcome is more than a simple case of one team winning a late-season veteran exchange. Pittsburgh converted a player it was prepared to move into a young starting corner at a premium position, while Chicago received almost no useful production before trading Claypool again.
The current A+ for Pittsburgh should remain. Chicago's D is too generous given the scale of the miss and should fall to F. The Steelers did not merely receive the better long-term asset; they acquired a foundational defensive starter for a receiver who barely contributed to the Bears.