Entering Thursday night’s Week 4 game between the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers, Browns’ veteran receiver Jerry Jeudy had just two receptions for 26 yards on the season. In Cleveland’s 27-24 win over the Steelers on Thursday, Jeudy had three total catches for 36 yards.
In just one game — which saw Jeudy play only 24 offensive snaps — he was able to produce more than he did in the first three games combined. His contributions were needed, as two of his receptions came on the drive that put Cleveland in position for Andre Szmyt's game-winning field goal.
After the game, Browns head coach Todd Monken talked about how cool it was for Jeudy to have his moment. While praising Jeudy, Monken revealed that the veteran receiver is no longer starting.
Despite being a rotational player now, Jeudy is still being a great teammate and is answering when his number is called.
"First off, what a great catch by Jerry. I’m so happy for Jerry. And it probably wasn’t enough for a game ball, but for a guy that really isn’t starting now, he’s a rotational player — that’s so cool for him. And it’s not easy. Not easy for a veteran player to have young players kind of beat him out. But we needed it in a big time, and that was a big-time catch."
Jerry Jeudy comes up big for Browns despite losing his starting job
With the emergence of Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion, it was clear that Jeudy was being featured in a smaller role. However, things decreased to another level for the wideout on Thursday, and it was notable before Monken even said anything.
While Jeudy didn’t get many targets over the first three weeks, he was still on the field. On Thursday, his reps were noticeably limited, with Malachi Corley seeing far more snaps.
In Week 1, Jeudy played 62.7% of offensive snaps. In Week 2, that number dropped to 58.6%. It fell again to 51.4% in Week 3, and on Thursday, his offensive snap percentage plummeted to 37.5. So he has clearly been phased out of the offense, but that’s why it says so much that he was able to come up big when needed.
Jeudy, who hasn’t made any noise about his demotion, has remained a mentor to the young wide receivers who are replacing him. Additionally, the veteran wideout made it very clear that he’s appreciative of every opportunity that comes his way. When Jeudy recorded his first catch on Thursday, he stood up and stared at the ball, while holding it like a precious baby, before kissing the ball a few times.
Naturally, there will be discussions about a possible trade for Jeudy since he no longer has a big role in the offense. While a move could be on the table, Jeudy proved on Thursday that he could hang around as a valuable leader — and someone who could come through clutch.
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