Chicago Bears clear WRs Chase Claypool, Darnell Mooney for practice

LAKE FOREST – Bears receiver Chase Claypool’s stay on the physically unable to perform list this week was brief, and the team says Claypool has been cleared to return to practice.

Bears veteran players reported to training camp Tuesday at Halas Hall. General manager Ryan Poles said everyone passed their physicals. That included Claypool and receiver Darnell Mooney, who missed the end of last season with an ankle injury.

Claypool missed several weeks during OTAs this spring because of an unspecified “soft-tissue” injury. Alarm bells rang when the team placed Claypool on the PUP list Sunday night, but the team quickly returned him to the active roster 24 hours later.

“[He] just needed an extra day or two to get him right, and we’re excited about him,” Poles said Tuesday. “He’s been working hard. He’s been spending extra time with our staff getting up to speed. He’s been with [quarterback] Justin [Fields], building that relationship with him so they can play well together.”

While the GM painted a rosy picture, there still might be some cause for concern.

Claypool injured his knee late last season in a Dec. 4 loss to the Green Bay Packers. The injury caused him to miss the following two games. This came just months after the Bears traded a second-round draft pick to Pittsburgh in exchange for Claypool.

Claypool then was healthy and out on the field for part of OTAs, but missed the final two weeks. The 25-year-old receiver went with Fields and several other receivers to Florida this month to get in some extra work and appeared to be healthy.

“We actually threw a couple of times up here before we went down to Florida,” Fields said. “We were able to get some work in, a little bit, and then he also did come down to Florida, as y’all probably saw. We were able to work out a few times before his knee started bothering him a little bit.”

Claypool was not made available for comment Tuesday, but any time a receiver’s knee is bothering him, it’s a concern.

The Bears officially return to practice Wednesday. Their initial practices will not be padded. Head coach Matt Eberflus said the first padded practice will be Aug. 2. It’s possible the Bears will be cautious with Claypool if he is, indeed, still battling a nagging injury.

Mooney also was spotted working out with Fields in Florida this month. He missed all of the spring practice period as he worked his way back from an ankle injury that required surgery.

“We’re going to make sure that we have the right plan so he’s not pushed too fast, but we’re also not going to go too slow, either,” Poles said.

Mooney has been Fields’ favorite target over the past two seasons. He totaled 40 catches for 493 receiving yards and two touchdowns last season. He led all Bears receivers in receptions and yards, despite missing the final five games of the season.

“We’re going to make sure that we have the right plan so he’s not pushed too fast but we’re also not going to go too slow either.”

—  Ryan Poles, Bears general manager on Darnell Mooney

Mooney is once again expected to be a key piece within this offense. The Bears added star receiver DJ Moore to the mix, but Mooney and Claypool should be in the starting lineup alongside Moore when the season begins Sept. 10, assuming everyone is healthy.