Insider Reveals Jerry Jeudy's True Status for Broncos-Raiders

Jerry Jeudy's injury status was expected to remain fluid right up until the Denver Broncos' kickoff against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

On Saturday night, however, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Jeudy isn't "expected" to play in Week 1.

"Broncos’ WR Jerry Jeudy, listed as questionable for today due to a hamstring injury, is not expected to play vs. the Raiders, per source," Schefter tweeted.

Broncos’ WR Jerry Jeudy, listed as questionable for today due to a hamstring injury, is not expected to play vs. the Raiders, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 10, 2023

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Schefter's tweet was reinforced when the Broncos also announced that wide receivers Phillip Dorsett and Lil'Jordan Humphrey would be practice squad elevations for Week 1. A contingency plan is now in activation mode, and as head coach Sean Payton explained during the week, getting replacements ready means leaning heavily on his assistant coaches.

"It's immediate meeting time," Payton said. "Evenings, cut-ups, call - there's a lot that goes into it for the position coach. This league doesn't wait. It becomes more stressful - there are times when someone comes in and they're going to play in that game. That comes up, hopefully not as much as you'd like. I think it's a crash course."

Particularly for Dorsett, mastering the offense will have to come quickly, as he's only been with the Broncos for a couple of weeks. Dorsett will rely on every bit of familiarity he can muster with his old teammate Russell Wilson — with some insider snippets on the Raiders thrown in for good measure. That debriefing has likely already happened.

As for Jeudy, the Broncos will play it safe. Payton revealed he won't go on gut feelings when it comes to injured players like Jeudy.

"It's really simple," Payton said. "It's not—you know when there's lightning in the area and the horns blow and the decision is made? When a player is injured and he can't go, it's not like, 'Well, I'm going to trust my'—I just go by how we feel the reports are. I've been encouraged."

Encouraged by Jeudy's progress or not, only Saturday night, another cautionary tale emerged for the Broncos to cross-reference. By placing their All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp on injured reserve, the Los Angeles Rams will be without a real difference-maker for a month at least.

Similarly, were Payton to push Jeudy onto the field too early, it could lead to a similarly debilitating scenario and several additional weeks spent on the sidelines for one of Wilson's key offensive weapons.

Weather conditions on Sunday afternoon in the Mile High City are also expected to be stormy and wet, so it's unlikely to be the best on-field conditions to risk Jeudy's tender hamstring. When it comes down to weighing the pros and cons, sitting Jeudy for an extra week makes a lot of sense, as frustrating as it may be for fans.

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