BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Quarterback competitions and learning new offenses have been the norm for Jerry Jeudy during his seven seasons in the NFL.
The Cleveland Browns wide receiver said Wednesday this is at least the fifth year he has been on a team that's figuring out who will be its starting quarterback during training camp.
Even though Jeudy has become frustrated at times with the lack of stability — first with the Denver Broncos and now the Browns — he realizes
that who lines up under center is not his decision.
“I just got to deal with it. I can’t control who's at quarterback, what happens to the quarterback, anything,” Jeudy said. “I do control what I can control and that’s running routes getting open and catching the ball, making plays. Other than that, I can’t do nothing else but my job.”
Jeudy — who has caught passes from 14 starting quarterbacks (seven each with the Browns and Broncos) — further clarified that a recent video on social media showing him holding up four fingers was about the age of his daughter and not an endorsement of Deshaun Watson, who wears that number, becoming Cleveland's starting QB for the Sept. 13 opener at Jacksonville.
“I think I'm mature and wise enough to not answer questions like that. For anyone to believe I would answer that on social media is kind of wild,” Jeudy said. “I don’t even answer quarterback questions in here, why would I answer quarterback questions on TikTok?”
Jeudy said the video of the livestream edited out a section that included his daughter. After the video went viral, Jeudy spoke to Watson and Shedeur Sanders while adding that he doesn't speak, at least publicly, “on decisions that aren't mine to make.”
“Five years ago, I just probably just let y’all think whatever y’all want to think. But now sometimes you just got to clear up a message because sometimes it lets people think whatever. That’s going to leave a bad taste or a bad memory in their head,” Jeudy said.
No matter who emerges as the Browns' QB, Jeudy will need to have a better season. After setting career highs in catches (90) and receiving yards (1,229) in 2024, his first year with Cleveland, Jeudy had only 50 catches for 602 yards last year.
Jeudy is also hoping that rookies KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston can emerge as receiving threats. Of the Browns' top six players in receptions last season, five were running backs or tight ends.
Jeudy also expects to get more playing time than usual this preseason after first-year coach Todd Monken said everyone on the roster would be playing in the three games.
“This offense, I’m excited because it all gets you in the right formation, the right play against the right look,” Jeudy said. “I think that’s a big step forward for this offense. The quarterback, being able to change the plays or have two or three plays in one just to get in the right look and the right play against the defense. So that’s going to be helpful a lot.”
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