The Denver Broncos finally got into the win column on Sunday, coming back from a 28-7 deficit to defeat the Chicago Bears. It was an impressive win for a team that was hungry for a win and needed something positive after getting beat by 50 points last week by the Miami Dolphins.
After the game, wide receiver Jerry Jeudy decided to respond to some criticism from a former teammate on Twitter (now known as X). Former Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay had this two say.
Where are the receivers!! All that money out there to be no-shows?
— Phillip Lindsay (@I_CU_boy) October 1, 2023
Glad you got to watch the game from the crib fam 💯 https://t.co/GCCypcAyRq
— Jerry Jeudy⁴ (@jerryjeudy) October 1, 2023
Former Broncos wide receiver Rod Smith, the leading receiver in team history, then joined in looking to play mediator. Jeudy went a little lighter on Smith in his response.
As a reciever you should know how this football shxt go but it was good win doe#controlwhatcancontrol https://t.co/er5fDhk1bO
— Jerry Jeudy⁴ (@jerryjeudy) October 1, 2023
When you read through the log of replies, many of them are in support of Jeudy's stance, criticizing Lindsay for saying something "from his couch". Those same fans still talk Jeudy up and present him as one of the best wide receivers in the league and I'm here to say that I just don't get that.
What has Jerry Jeudy done in Denver?
When Lindsay posted that tweet, it was a very legitimate question. Against the Bears, Broncos wide receivers combined for a grand total of 10 receptions. So when that tweet was put out, the group didn't even have that many.
Jeudy had three of those. He finished the game with three receptions for 52 yards. If that sounds like a standard Jeudy stat line, that's because it is. That's about the level of production you can expect from him week in and week out.
He has played in 45 career games. He has had more than five receptions in a game 10 times. He has gone over 100 yards receiving five times. But it's not even just the statistics that are lacking. He also disappears when the team needs a play. And no, that's not because the team is going against stellar defenses on a consistent basis.
Furthermore, in the game against the Bears, when the Broncos were looking for something to spark the offense, he dropped a routine pass, and just moments later on the same possession, Russell Wilson took a shot down the field for Jeudy and though the ball was overthrown, he made basically no effort to go and grab it.
Yet, Broncos Country continually gives him a pass. There has always been an excuse. The quarterback play around him was bad. He doesn't see enough targets. He's been hurt too much so we can't fairly assess him.
Would the feelings around his clash with Lindsay be different if the Broncos lost to the Bears? They won the game, but Jeudy had basically nothing to do with that win.
He was a high draft pick, and that's why he is expected to play like one. He never has, regardless of whatever excuse is used that particular week. Well over a year ago, I pointed out all of the free passes that Jeudy has gotten and that is still the case.
The facts are, while he may be loaded with potential, we have never seen it on the field for any consistent length of time at all.
Jeudy was the second wide receiver taken in the 2020 draft (Henry Ruggs was the first) and there are five, if not six wide receivers taken in that class that have had better careers than he has. There are two or three others that have an argument. And Jeudy's failures aren't all the result of anything he can't control, some of it has been due to the fact that he just hasn't been very good.
But to reply to a former teammate in that way is indicative of where his head is at. Players who perform well every week are going to let something like that bounce right off of them. Do you see the top guys in the league coming back with a reply like that over a simple question?
As for Lindsay, if you weren't aware, he recently joined 104.3 The Fan to talk football and other sports as part of the station's daily lineup. So not only does Lindsay have an opinion while watching a game, it is also part of his job to provide analysis doing just that.
Perhaps Jeudy shouldn't be so critical of such comments and perhaps he should let his play speak for itself. Maybe, he knows his play isn't saying much.
Jeudy's name has come up in trade talks for some time now. This year's trade deadline is on Halloween. If other teams are interested, I can't think of a single reason why the Broncos shouldn't take advantage of a potential deal.