Clayton started his career in 1983 on the bench, appearing sporadically on offense but working as the team’s primary punt returner. For the season he had six catches for 114 yards and one touchdown, while returning 60 punts for 392 yards and a touchdown. His first highlight game came on October 9 against the Buffalo Bills in a 38-35 loss; he had his first touchdown come through the air: in the third quarter, he threw a pass to Mark Duper that went 48 yards for a touchdown. In the following quarter, he would catch a 14-yard pass from Dan Marino for his first receiving touchdown.
