Chase Claypool Takes Stefon Diggs’ Number in Buffalo
Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool is raising some eyebrows by taking Stefon Diggs' No. 14.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool found a new team, signing with the Buffalo Bills on Friday. That came just a month after Claypool was added to the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ exclusive negotiation list in the CFL, meaning that he could have been bound for the Canadian Football League, according to Pro Football Talk.
The Seahawks also hosted Claypool for a visit in March. But now, Claypool will join Josh Allen and the Bills, hoping to find a way to revitalize his career. And his new number raised some eyebrows immediately. Claypool will be wearing No. 14, the same number that Stefon Diggs wore while with the team.
The Bears traded former Claypool to the Miami Dolphins after less than a year with the team. Chicago sent Claypool and a 2025 seventh-round draft pick to Miami in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick, ending his stint in Chicago. He did not do much after arriving in Miami, either, and now remains a free agent.
Claypool’s tenure with the Bears went about as poorly as possible. In the 10 games he suited up with the Bears, the team went 0-10. He caught a total of 18 passes for 191 yards and one touchdown in those 10 games.
Last year, Claypool was hampered by injuries. This year, though, his effort became a talking point early in the season and he was benched and then sent home pending a trade. It had been reported earlier this week that the Bears would release Claypool if they couldn’t find a trade partner.
The Steelers traded Claypool to Chicago on Nov. 1, 2022 in exchange for the Bears’ second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. At the time, the Bears were 3-5 and the pick was expected to be near the middle of the round.
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Instead, the Bears lost their final nine games, falling all the way to the bottom of the NFL standings. That pick became the first pick in the second round, which was No. 32 overall, because the Miami Dolphins had their second-round pick taken by the league for tampering.
The Steelers’ second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Claypool played 49 games over two and a half seasons in Pittsburgh. He was never able to regain the heights of his rookie season, when he caught 62 passes for 873 yards and nine touchdowns.
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