Ex-Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy Reveals the Ugly Truth Behind Trade to Browns

Jerry Jeudy claims he asked for the Denver Broncos to trade him twice, and explained why.

Aug 4, 2024; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) makes a catch during practice at the Browns training facility in Berea, Ohio. / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Jerry Jeudy seems to be loving life as a new member of the Cleveland Browns. That's the image the young receiver is trying to portray publicly, and in the wake of securing a $52.5 million contract extension, who could blame him?

In fact, according to Jeudy, he was not only glad to be traded to Cleveland, he told The Denver Gazette's Chris Tomasson that he asked the Denver Broncos to deal him — not once, but twice. After being asked whether his trade to the Browns surprised him, Jeudy broke some news.

“It didn’t come out of the blue at all,” Jeudy told Tomasson. “I’m the one that decided that. I made the decision to come (to Cleveland) and I’m excited with my decision. … I actually came up to (the Broncos) and asked that I wanted a new atmosphere, a new change of scenery. I just wanted to go somewhere else and have a new feel and a new atmosphere.”

Jeudy's relative availability was known throughout the NFL for the better part of two years. Multiple trade rumors stuck to Jeudy's name throughout the 2022 and 2023 offseasons.

Based on what Jeudy is saying now, it sounds like he may have been the source of those rumors, to an extent. However, we learned that when Sean Payton took over as head coach last year, he denied Jeudy's request to trade him away.

“At the beginning of the season, I asked Sean for it,’’ Jeudy said. “I asked Sean for a trade and he said no. … Sean was like, ‘We love you and we want you here.’ He was not going to trade me, basically.”

Once the 2023 season was in the books, and Jeudy had posted yet another — let's face it — forgettable stat line in Denver's low-volume passing offense with Russell Wilson at quarterback, the Broncos started singing a different tune relative to trading him. After all, by releasing Wilson, the Broncos had to roll with the punches of the $85M in dead-money charges they'd be eating on the salary cap over the next two seasons.

“After the year, they told me they knew my frustrations and they understood, like, what I want to do and want to begin,’’ Jeudy said. “They understood everything and agreed to (a trade).”

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Jeudy claims he'd "heard" that Cleveland had an interest in him, and so he asked the Broncos to make a deal. The rest, as they say, is history, as Denver dealt Jeudy to Cleveland in exchange for a fifth-and sixth-round draft pick, shedding his $12.9M salary. That was the big upside for Denver, freeing up the cap space, more so than the pair of later-round selections.

At the end of the day, despite Payton's assurances and presence, Jeudy didn't believe he could reach his "full potential" in Denver.

“I want to be able to reach my full potential and I feel like that wasn’t going on (in Denver),’’ Jeudy said. “So hopefully I get to be able to grow and win games and reach the goals that I want to reach.”

Not long after arriving in Cleveland, Jeudy signed that three-year, $52.5M contract extension. And that was with just 211 receptions for 3,053 yards (14.5 avg.) and 11 touchdowns to speak of for his career.

Obviously, the Browns are betting that Jeudy will finally cash in on his first-round potential five years after the Broncos drafted him out of Alabama at No. 15 overall. Here's to hoping...

In Jeudy's defense, he dealt with immense quarterback instability early on, although he did play with a nine-time Pro Bowler in Wilson for the final two years of his Broncos tenure. Alas, Wilson simply wasn't the same player who dominated the NFC West in Seattle for a decade.

It's too bad because it's not hard to see Jeudy thriving in an offense quarterbacked by Bo Nix. But there will be some growing pains as the Broncos break in a rookie quarterback, and Jeudy is done dealing with the vagaries of organizational learning curves.

The Broncos stacked the two mid-to-late-round draft picks and cleared $13M off the salary cap, signing Josh Reynolds in free agency (who's looked very good in training camp), and drafted Nix's top target at Oregon in Troy Franklin, as well as Utah's Devaughn Vele. After throwing a few extra bucks Courtland Sutton's way, the Broncos' receiver depth chart now features two former Pro Bowlers, including Marvin Mims Jr., as well as the aforementioned Reynolds, a now-healthy Tim Patrick, Franklin, Vele, Brandon Johnson, and Lil'Jordan Humphrey.

Throw in tight end Greg Dulcich, who's looked very good since returning from the severe hamstring injuries that claimed the majority of his 2023 season, and the Broncos certainly aren't lacking in receiving weapons in Payton's new-look arsenal. Nix will have no shortage of arrows in his quiver.

And everybody's happy.

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