Sports

Jerry Jeudy embraces boos in record-setting return to Denver

Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy left Denver with a reputation as an underachiever during his four seasons with the Broncos, but that certainly wasn’t the case when he returned.

Now with the Cleveland Browns, Jeudy caught nine passes Monday night for a career-high 235 yards – the most in NFL history by a player in his first game against his former team, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The Denver fans weren’t shy about showing their displeasure on many of Jeudy’s receptions.

‘There were a lot of boos, huh? What that mean? A lot of catches, too,’ Jeudy said after a 41-32 loss to the Broncos. ‘They only boo you when they know there’s something great in you.’

Jeudy even threw his own shade back at the fans, cupping his hand to his helmet at the end of a 70-yard touchdown reception from Jameis Winston in the third quarter.

All things Browns: Latest Cleveland Browns news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

The Broncos selected Jeudy with the 15th overall pick in the 2020 draft, but after four inconsistent seasons, they traded him to the Browns for a fifth- and sixth-round draft pick in 2024.

After never reaching the 1,000-yard mark in Denver, Jeudy’s big game now has him on pace for nearly 1,250 in his first season with Cleveland. However, he admitted he’d be happy to trade his outstanding individual performance for a Browns win.

‘Hell yeah, I would,’ Jeudy said. ‘They can have that. I need that W. That was one step closer to get to the playoffs. We need that.’

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY