It's been a memorable first season with the Cleveland Browns for wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. He'll have his first ever trip to the Pro Bowl to prove it.
"Extremely thankful," said Jeudy of being names and AFC Pro Bowler on Thursday. "Just to have the opportunity to make the Pro Bowl for my first year. Couldn't do it without the guys in the locker room. Couldn't do it without the coaching staff putting me in the right position to make plays and be successful in this offsnese thanks to those guys."
Jeudy recorded the first 1,000-yard campaign of his career this season. Entering Week 18, he ranks sixth overall in receiving yards with 1,166. He's just outside of the top 10 with 84 receptions as well, to go along with four touchdowns.
Cleveland traded 2024 fifth- and sixth-round picks to the Denver Broncos for Jeudy pick back in March, then quickly signed him to a three-year extension. Browns vice president of football operations Andrew Berry and company bet on a change of scenery unlocking the full potential of the 2020 first-round pick. They turned out to be right.
Earning a spot in the Pro Bowl is a culmination of the Browns belief in the 25-year-old, and his own efforts to change the narrative around him.
"I was extremely happy," said Jeudy of his reaction to the news. "All the hard work I put in throughout the offseason, it's finally showing. Been through a lot my first couple years in the league. So not being able to really showcase what I'm about, and being a Pro Bowler it means a lot to me."
Through his first four seasons, all in Denver, Jeudy had developed a reputation for being a bust. Some pundits felt the Broncos were better off without him. Those criticisms became a source of motivation for Jeudy. A trip to the Pro Bowl is the payoff.
Now that he's checked off one personal goal, he's got his sights set on bigger aspirations in the future.
"Pro Bowl, hopefully Super Bowl champions, all-pro, so, that's what we chasing after, said Jeudy."
