Jerry Jeudy has a new home with the Cleveland Browns and hopes to stay there for a while.
The Browns officially announced the trade for Jeudy on Wednesday, March 13. Cleveland sent fifth- and sixth-round picks to the Denver Broncos in exchange for the former first-round pick.
Jeudy is heading into the final year of his rookie deal. He’ll play on a $12.987 million salary for 2024, which is his guaranteed fifth-year option tender. Jeudy is unsure what the future holds but doesn’t want to be a pass-catcher who’s constantly on the move.
“I want to be somewhere that wants me to be there. I want to be home,” Jeudy told reporters on Thursday, March 14. “I don’t want to be moving around too much and all that. So we’re going to see what happens.”
Jeudy caught 54 of 87 targets last season with the Broncos, recording 758 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His best season came in 2022. In 15 games, Jeudy caught 67 passes for 972 yards and 6 touchdowns.
If Jeudy comes out of the gates hot and performs well, the Browns will likely investigate adding him to their long-term plans. In the meantime, the draft capital was a good investment and allowed them to add a much-needed weapon to their aerial arsenal.
Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy responds to Criticism
Jeudy got into a very public spat last season with Steve Smith. The former All-Pro said that Jeudy is a “JAG, ‘Just A Guy’ who is an average wide receiver [the Broncos] used a first-round pick on that isn’t doing anything.”
Jeudy has underperformed as a first-round pick from a statistical perspective but is grateful the Browns didn’t heed that criticism from Smith. He also feels that the game tape accurately showcases his abilities.
“They didn’t let one person stop them from understanding the true meaning. They comprehend the game of football. Some people have their opinions on me, and some think differently,” Jeudy said. “I don’t think it affected me in any way and didn’t affect the Browns either. And like I said, I know the Browns didn’t really listen to what Steve Smith had to say. They just had to turn on the tape to see if it’s really true or not. And they turned on the tape and see it wasn’t true what he said.”
Jerry Jeudy's Relationship With Browns Pro Bowl Player Amari Cooper
Jeudy appears locked in as the Browns’ No. 2 receiver, behind Amari Cooper. It’s a stellar spot for Jeudy, who came up modeling his game after Cooper — his fellow Alabama alum.
“I’m excited to play with Coop,” Jeudy said. “I’ve been watching him for a long time, so me watching him and actually studying him made me become a better player. So now actually being next to him and actually hearing his opinions on things, on how to run certain routes is going to help me, impact me extremely well. So I’m excited to see how this thing goes.”
Jeudy is also very familiar with Elijah Moore, who the Browns traded for last offseason. The Browns also have young wide receivers David Bell and Cedric Tillman — both former third-round picks
