Jerry Jeudy is at the center of one of the biggest quarterback battles of the offseason, and the Cleveland Browns wide receiver went out of his way to complement one of the passers. Originally a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Alabama product had a solid career with the Denver Broncos before joining the Cleveland Browns in 2024. The change of scenery brought out the best in him, as the wideout finished the season with 90 receptions for 1,229 yards and four touchdowns on 145 targets. This impressive season earned him a massive three-year, $52.5 million deal the following offseason.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t justify that investment in 2025. Dealing with subpar quarterback play, Jerry Jeudy finished the season with 50 receptions for just 602 yards and two touchdowns on 106 targets in 17 games. While Jeudy himself didn’t play as well as he did in 2024, a lot of his issues stemmed from inconsistent quarterback play. Now, fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders is battling Deshaun Watson for the starting job, and the wide receiver says that the second-year quarterback has shown notable improvement in the offseason.
“Just being more comfortable, being more confident, and that comes with repetition,” Jeudy said. “Having that first year to second year jump, you can see him out here on the field just being a lot more comfortable, confident, and in command.”
Jerry Jeudy Praises Shedeur Sanders In Browns Quarterback Battle
It’s good to see that Jerry Jeudy believes Shedeur Sanders is improving. While he finished the season as the starting quarterback and went 3-4, he was one of the league’s worst quarterbacks by just about every metric. In total, he completed just 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a 44.1 PFF grade, the worst mark in the league. In short, he played like a rookie fifth-round pick.
First-year head coach Todd Monken clearly believes he can improve, as he didn’t add any meaningful outside quarterback competition. He did, however, indicate that veteran Deshaun Watson could win the job with a strong camp. Watson, of course, has been nothing but a complete disaster with the Cleveland Browns and hasn’t looked like a franchise quarterback since leaving Houston.
Maybe one of these passers can turn it around, but if that doesn’t happen, Jerry Jeudy could be in for another long season.
Main Photo: Lisa Scalifaro – Imagn Images
