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Jerry Jeudy blew off NFL Network's Steve Smith, and Smith shredded Jeudy on air

frank schwab
NFL writer
·4 min read
447
Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy looks on before the start of an NFL football game against the New York Jets Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Steve Smith has never been the kind of guy to let any form of disrespect go.

Smith felt disrespected by Denver Broncos receiver Jerry Jeudy, so he told the NFL Network audience just how he felt about it.

The former Carolina Panthers great and current NFL Network analyst said on air that he called out to Jeudy before Thursday's game between the Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs. Smith said he called Jeudy a "JAG" — "just a guy," in NFL vernacular — meaning he was an average player and said he wanted to tell him that he was playing well, and "I know I said some things in the past I probably shouldn't have, and I'm sorry."

"That's what I wanted to say to him," Smith said on NFL Network.

Smith said that Jeudy blew him off. Smith said Jeudy told him, "I don't mess with you," but with a curse word. Jeudy said that twice, Smith said.

Smith, not surprisingly, was fired up by that and ripped Jeudy on air.

"I'm sorry I said you were a 'JAG,' just a guy, who is an average wide receiver they used a first-round pick on that isn't doing anything," Smith said. "I hope today you actually show up in a way you haven't shown up in the last couple years since they drafted you.

"So if you ever got a problem with Agent 89, I'm sorry for saying you're an average wide receiver that they will eventually move on [from]. And when teams call me and ask if they should trade for you, I would say no, don't trade for Jerry Jeudy. Because he's mentally unable to handle constructive criticism from people who watch specifically, can he be a wide receiver? He can be a wide receiver. He's a tier three."

Then Smith told NFL Network to go back to the studio because he was done. Not that he needed to say much more.

It didn't end there. Jeudy danced right behind Smith and Mike Garafolo as they did their next segment from the sideline, and that didn't seem coincidental.

Jeudy's uninspiring play has drawn criticism from other former players, and Jeudy hasn't taken kindly to it. He has picked social media battles with former Broncos legends such as Rod Smith and Mark Schlereth this season. With the Broncos at 1-5 and Jeudy not a big part of the solution, you can guess with whom Denver fans have sided.

Jeudy's stat line on Thursday night: three catches for 14 yards.

Jerry Jeudy blows off Steve Smith questions after loss

Predictably, Jeudy wasn't in a talkative mood after the game. After being asked about the Smith drama, Jeudy blew off the question by only talking about the game instead.

Asked again about his conversation with Smith, Jeudy claimed not to remember it happening.

Jerry Jeudy is reportedly on the trade block for Broncos

The Broncos are reportedly in sell mode on the 24-year-old ahead of the Oct. 31 trade deadline, according to FanBuzz's Matt Lombardo.

Jeudy entered Thursday with 17 receptions for 208 yards and no touchdowns this season. During his brief career, the No. 15 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft has recorded 174 catches for 2,503 yards and nine touchdowns in 45 games.

Lombardo reported that at least one team in the NFC has had conversations about the receiver.

"One high-ranking NFC personnel director," Lombardo wrote, "says that his team has already 'held internal discussions' about a possible deal for Jeudy."

If the Broncos decide to trade Jeudy, hopefully other teams don't call Smith asking what he thinks.