BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns whirled through practice reps during OTAs and mandatory minicamp as they shuffled between four quarterbacks aiming to be the team’s starter.
While there may not have been much consistency as to who lined up under center, there was a consistent theme whenever a Browns quarterback dropped back: They found wide receiver Jerry Jeudy.
Jeudy’s first season in Cleveland marked a breakout campaign for the 2020 first-round pick who endured an inconsistent four years with the Denver Broncos. He achieved career-best marks in receptions (90) and yards (1,229) and he was named to his first Pro Bowl. The Browns scored the fewest points in the league in 2024, but Jeudy’s emergence was a bright spot.
With an inexperienced wide receiver room, Jeudy enters his second year with the Browns as the undisputed No. 1 receiver and could be line for an even bigger role.
“He’s exciting,” quarterback Joe Flacco said. “I mean, he’s got speed, he’s got route running ability, and you can see the look in his eyes. You know he wants to be good and he wants to do it the right way, so it’s exciting to be around him.”
Jeudy is no stranger to catching passes from a carousel of quarterbacks. It was the story of his tenure in Denver, which rotated through a bevy of passers. And for Jeudy, it’s not the most ideal situation for a wide receiver. But the Browns have mixed all sorts of combinations with their quarterbacks and pass catchers during the offseason workout program, allowing Jeudy to develop chemistry with whoever emerges as the starter after training camp in late July.
“It is pretty difficult because you want to always build that relationship with a quarterback and have that consistency throughout the years,” Jeudy said. “But as a receiver going through that, you just got to keep working and you got to learn how to adjust no matter what. Some situations ain’t going to go as planned, so you just got to figure out how to just keep going and stay on the right path.”
For all the strides Jeudy made in his fifth season, he and coaches say there is another level to achieve. Jeudy dropped nine passes, the second most in the NFL. And from Weeks 1 to 7, he caught only 21 passes for 266 yards and one touchdown. But Jeudy stepped into the No. 1 receiver spot when Amari Cooper was traded to the Buffalo Bills in mid-October. And as the team turned to Jameis Winston in the aftermath of Deshaun Watson’s season-ending Achilles, Jeudy became more of a focal point in the offense. After Week 7, only the Cincinnati Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase and the Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson registered more receiving yards than Jeudy’s 963.
“I think Jerry is still a young player. I think Jerry has room to grow,” coach Kevin Stefanski said. “I think he would tell you that. There’s techniques that he’s working on. It was Year 1 for us with him, so getting a feel for the route concepts that he’s really good at, things that he can improve upon. But with Year 2 with a team, you’re constantly thinking about that next step. And that can come in a variety of ways, certainly usage and where we put him and how we use them and what position he’s playing and when you’re motioning and when you’re doing different things. I think those are all the types of things that can grow in Year 2.”
Jeudy’s workload in 2025 could be even greater given the state of the Browns’ wide receiver room. He and Diontae Johnson, who is on his fourth team in two years, are the only wideouts who have caught at least 50 passes in a season. Jeudy, though, had a strong offseason workout program as he looks to establish himself as a reliable option for the Browns’ eventual starting quarterback.
“He’s a really easy guy to throw to,” quarterback Kenny Pickett said. “I think it’s a good play whenever you’re throwing the ball to No. 3. So, we should keep doing a lot more of that. But Jerry’s an awesome guy. He works really hard. His communication with the quarterbacks is awesome. If he sees something or if I see something, the ability just to have that open dialogue and kind of being on the same page has been great …. I think it’s shown.”
