Jerry Jeudy is excited to return to Denver, the city he once wanted to leave.
On Monday night, Jeudy will play against his former team, the Denver Broncos, when the Cleveland Browns (3-8) visit the Broncos (7-5). The Broncos are looking to go three games above .500 for the first time since the start of the 2021 season, when they won their first three games.
“I ain’t circled it,” Jeudy said, “but I definitely seen that it was on the schedule, was very excited about it. Now it’s here. Now it’s time to perform.”
Jeudy was drafted by the Broncos in the first round of the 2020 draft, but his time in Denver was mostly underwhelming. He asked for a trade in March and later signed a three-year, $58 million extension with the Cleveland Browns.
Now, Jeudy is returning to Denver in great form, something he didn’t experience much during his time with the Broncos. He has 19 catches for 300 yards and a touchdown over the last three games. He’s also built a strong connection with Jameis Winston, averaging nearly 100 yards per game since Week 8.
This is the type of performance the Broncos hoped for from Jeudy when they drafted him, but it didn’t come together during his time there. Jeudy got along well with Broncos coach Sean Payton but still felt he needed a change.
“I just wasn’t satisfied how they were using me and I felt like I could do way more than what they expected of me,” Jeudy said. “I felt limited, so I felt like I had to go somewhere else to really showcase what I’m about.”
Part of the issue was playing in the shadow of Courtland Sutton in Denver.
Sutton has also been playing well recently, connecting with rookie QB Bo Nix. Sutton has caught 36 passes for 467 yards and three touchdowns in the last five weeks, including his first career game with multiple touchdown receptions. He even threw a touchdown pass to Nix during a Week 9 game against Baltimore.
Sutton, just like he did when the Broncos played against former teammate Justin Simmons, said he wishes Jeudy all the best, just not while playing against his team.
“I wish nothing but many blessings and a lot of highlights coming to him — anything past this week,” Sutton said. “But going into this week, he’s got a tough matchup with (Patrick Surtain II) over there. That’s cornerback one.”
Like everyone else, Payton was a big fan of Jeudy’s talent.
“He’s explosive, he separates,” Payton said, adding that Jeudy “has great hips, great transition, and he has great football IQ.”
However, Jeudy’s potential didn’t always shine in Denver.
