Russell Wilson Breaks Silence on Rumor of Ignoring WR Jerry Jeudy
Over the past week, much has been made about Russell Wilson 'ignoring' wide receiver Jerry Jeudy in the Denver Broncos' passing offense. Compared to the number of targets Courtland Sutton has received (75), Jeudy's share of the pie (57) has been considerably slimmer.
At times, it's as if Wilson isn't perceiving Jeudy in the passing progression. The Broncos quarterback has missed a wide-open Jeudy more times this season than can be counted, with last week's big miss of a guaranteed touchdown on fourth down being the most glaring.
Wilson's memory had to be jogged a bit, but he did remember dropping his eyes on that fourth-down play, and rushing for the first down. Meanwhile, the television broadcast picked up a seriously frustrated Jeudy, who was all by himself with nary a defender within spitting distance in the end zone.
"They went to Cover 2... and so we were hoping they were going to go match it up, and [we'd] get that play, and unfortunately, it took a while," Wilson said of that big missed opportunity. "I'm like, 'Okay, go get the first down and convert.' But I think there's some great stuff in there."
Head coach Sean Payton dropped a "holy cow" when he saw how open Jeudy was on that play, which was a concept specifically called in that moment for the ball to go his way. But it's not just that one outlier each week. If you turn on the All-22 film, it's easy to see how Jeudy is creating separation on his routes, and getting open on the vast majority of his snaps.
Known as one of the best route-running wideouts in the NFL, that's Jeudy's calling card. But it seems that either Wilson doesn't fully trust Jeudy, or perhaps that it's how Payton has curated his offense and partitioning one side of the field to simplify his quarterback's reads, as some NFL analysts, including a piping-mad Mark Schlereth, believe.
"Jerry Jeudy has an unbelievable ability to get open," Wilson said. "I think he's really special. He made some great catches and big first downs... Like I said, there was one in the game that we really wanted, and we called for him, and just, unfortunately, they got to us..."
Still, just months removed from the Broncos exercising Jeudy's fifth-year option, it's safe to say his 2023 campaign has been a disappointment. He started the season on shaky ground, with oddball behavior on social media, and getting into spats with NFL media personalities amid the Broncos' 1-5 start.
Somewhere along the way, someone got into Jeudy's ear, and he stopped behaving so outwardly obnoxiously. The Broncos began to win games (five straight), and while Sutton was certainly profiting at an individual level from the team's success, Jeudy was kind of left out in the cold.
On the season, Jeudy has 40 receptions for just 491 yards and one touchdown. He has missed one start, but his lack of statistical production is more about the quarterback (and perhaps his burgeoning bromance with Sutton) than it is about Jeudy somehow not doing his job on the field. Meanwhile, Sutton has 50 receptions for 637 yards and a career-high nine touchdowns.
Whatever the reason for Jeudy's relative disappearance in the Broncos' albeit run-heavy offense, Wilson still has nothing but good things to say about his young wideout and that he has 100% confidence in him. But the veteran QB did punctuate his remarks with some platitudes about what the Broncos are trying to achieve as a team, which may be a subtle example of his mindset.
"I think, first of all, with Jerry, he practices extremely well. I've got all the confidence in the world in him," Wilson said. "We've got five games to go. That's what we're focused on as a team. He's going to help us win. He's going to help us win. He's a winner. He's a guy who's competitive. He's got unbelievable ability. I've got all the trust in the world in him. I'm excited for the next five games for not just him but for our football team and what we can do."
With all the headlines and hubbub this week about the Wilson-Jeudy mystery, it'll be interesting to see how much play he gets vs. the Los Angeles Chargers. We'll see on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
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