Jerry Jeudy Ripped Despite Broncos Win Over Los Angeles Chargers | Westword
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Jerry Jeudy Ripped Despite Broncos Win Over Chargers

Denver now boasts a 7-6 record and has a legitimate chance to make the playoffs...with a diva wide receiver.
December 11, 2023
Jerry Jeudy came in for heaps of criticism following the December 10 Denver Broncos victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Jerry Jeudy came in for heaps of criticism following the December 10 Denver Broncos victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. Denver Broncos via YouTube
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How could fans of your Denver Broncos be anything other than elated over the squad's 24-7 triumph over the Los Angeles Chargers on December 10? After all, Russell Wilson and the Men of Orange earned a comfortable win on the road — one so easy that they were able to burn most of the last two minutes in victory formation — and now boast a 7-6 record (after a woeful 1-5 start) and have a legitimate chance to make the playoffs.

Yet a significant amount of the online reaction to the W was vitriol poured on one person: wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, who followed up predictable displays of petulance with a performance so putrid that it should have required nose plugs. And even though the team itself overcame his gaffes, this response is entirely justified.

When the Broncos drafted the University of Alabama product fifteenth overall in the 2020 NFL draft, the selection looked like a steal. Jeudy had been among the most highly touted pass magnets available, and the reasons he slid down the board weren't immediately evident. True, he didn't exactly seem like a Mensa candidate; he revealed in the weeks before he was chosen that he wore a Star of David necklace not because of his religious affiliation, but because pals sometimes shortened his name to "Jew." However, his blazing speed and success at the collegiate level suggested that he would fill a huge need for the Broncos, whose offense since the retirement of Peyton Manning would have needed to improve exponentially to earn the term "anemic."

But Jeudy's career stats brim with promise unrealized: While the likes of Justin Jefferson regularly notched annual receptions in the triple digits, Jeudy recorded 52 grabs during his rookie campaign, 38 in his second, 67 last season and forty in 2023 to date. So average are these numbers that they've earned far less attention than his 2021 arrest in Arapahoe County on suspicion of criminal tampering with a domestic violence enhancer — a charge that was later dropped.

Nonetheless, Jeudy has consistently acted as if he's among pro football's elite athletes, and when Wilson didn't notice that he was wide open on several occasions during Denver's December 3 loss to the Houston Texans, his diva-scale frustration would have been visible from Mars.

Cut to the Chargers contest, which was largely non-competitive owing to the shortcomings of Justin Herbert. The alleged generational Bolts quarterback underwhelmed even before he injured a finger and had to be replaced by backup Easton Stick, many of whose relatives had probably forgotten he was still in the league. Stick, who played his college ball at North Dakota State, has been around since 2019, but Sunday marked his first appearance since a brief cameo three years ago.

And then there's L.A. coach Brandon Staley, who enhanced his already sterling odds of getting fired by passing up a pair of field goals in favor of unwise fourth-down attempts to gain enough yardage to keep the offense on the field — both of which failed. As a result, the Chargers scored their only touchdown too late in the game to have any chance of a comeback.

Not that Jeudy can be credited with a significant role in Denver's point-scoring. Depending on your level of kindness, he either dropped or was unable to ensnare two bombs from Wilson, and although he hauled in an end zone strike, he didn't bother dragging his back foot as he zoomed toward the sideline — a lapse that led to the touchdown being overturned by referees aided by instant replay. He ended the day with just two catches for sixteen yards, and a TD by fellow receiver Courtland Sutton, who had to secure the ball with one hand because a Chargers defender was holding his other arm, made him look even worse by comparison.

Afterward, many commentators on the Service Formerly Known as Twitter took a break from celebrating the Broncos' continuing relevance to blast Jeudy — and the majority of their critiques hit the target. See what we mean by counting down the twenty most memorable takes below:

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.
Contact: Michael Roberts
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