ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Shortly after Sean Payton became the Denver Broncos’ head coach, many Broncos popped up in trade rumors.
For months, Jerry Jeudy highlighted that list, starting in the offseason leading up to the NFL draft.
Despite the rumors, Payton and George Paton didn’t move Jeudy before the draft. In fact, shortly after, the Broncos picked up Jeudy’s fifth-year option, which will pay him over $12 million for the 2024 season.
But, once again, as the Oct. 31 trade deadline approached, Jeudy’s name swirled in trade speculation.
And, once again, the Broncos did not trade the talented receiver.
On Monday, as the team reconvened from their Bye Week, Payton opened up about why the team decided to hang on to the former first-round pick.
“He’s an important part, an important piece of what we’re doing,” Payton said on Monday morning, as the team prepares to face the Buffalo Bills in Week 10. “When we’re talking about Jerry, shoot, he’s a guy that we think is dynamic.”
Through eight games of the season, Jeudy is second on the team in targets (40), receptions (27) and receiving yards (336), only trailing Courtland Sutton in all three categories. Jeudy’s one receiving touchdown, however, is tied for fourth on the team, behind Sutton, Brandon Johnson and Jaleel McLaughlin.
“Sometimes it’s a fickle game in that all of a sudden we’re into the fifth week of the season and Brandon Johnson has three touchdowns and Jerry doesn’t have one,” Payton explained. “Sometimes that’s the nature of the passing game. But, each week, there’s a lot that goes in to what we’re game planning.”
Against the Chiefs, in Denver’s last game, Jeudy had a team-high 50 receiving yards on two catches, including a 39-yard contested catch to put the Broncos in the red zone.
“He played extremely well last week and we think he’s going to be very important for us going forward,” the head coach added.
While Denver didn’t trade Jeudy, or any players in the days leading up to the trade deadline, Payton made it clear that the Broncos were open to listening to offers.
“I don’t think my words prior to the trade deadline were ever that, ‘Hey, we’re staying pat.’ It was ‘We’re just—we’re not the ones to be interviewed.’ Go ask the people that are purchasing,” Payton stated. “We’re building and putting a team together and can’t control—we kind of went through this in the offseason with a handful of players. And understandably so. In other words, I get it. But it’s harder for us to be the ones speaking on topics like that when we’re not the ones involved in initiating any of the contact.”
Ultimately, the Broncos didn’t receive any offer for Jeudy, or any players, that they thought was worth taking.
The same Broncos team that upset the Chiefs in Week 8 will be the team that goes into Buffalo on Monday night to try and upset the Bills.
