Yahoo Sports Jets owner Woody Johnson nixed Jerry Jeudy trade over Madden rating, per report
The New York Jets were in the market for a receiver to pair with Garrett Wilson during the 2024 NFL offseason. One of their top targets for that role was then-Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, according to a report from The Athletic.
Then-Jets general manager Joe Douglas nearly pulled off a trade that would have brought Jeudy, a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, to New York.
Instead, the deal was called off by Jets owner Woody Johnson. Denver's front office "couldn’t believe the reason why," per The Athletic.
"Douglas told the Broncos that Johnson didn’t want to make the trade because the owner felt Jeudy’s player rating in 'Madden NFL,' the popular video game, wasn’t high enough, according to multiple league sources. The Broncos ultimately traded the receiver to the Cleveland Browns."
The Athletic noted that "wasn’t the only time Johnson cited 'Madden' ratings when evaluating players." He also had questioned the team's signing of guard John Simpson in the same offseason due to his low "awareness" rating in the game.
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After passing on Jeudy, the Jets' major offseason receiver acquisition was veteran receiver Mike Williams, who signed a one-year deal with the team recovering from a torn ACL. They also spent a third-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft on Western Kentucky's Malachi Corley.
Neither was able to earn a big role with the Jets. Williams was publicly chastised by quarterback Aaron Rodgers before being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Meanwhile, Corley has just five touches through Week 15, the most notable of which was an 18-yard run against the Houston Texans during which he dropped the ball before the goal-line celebrating what was meant to be his first NFL touchdown.
New York's issues at receiver prompted them to acquire Las Vegas Raiders wide-out Davante Adams before the NFL trade deadline. He has since steadied the boat – recording 49 catches, 651 yards and five touchdowns in eight games since reuniting with Rodgers – but it isn't clear whether the soon-to-be 32-year-old will be a long-term fit for the Jets.
As for Jeudy, he recorded his first 1,000-yard season with the Browns despite the team's issues at quarterback. He ranks fifth in the NFL with 1,052 receiving yards entering Week 16, and it cost the Browns just fifth- and sixth-round picks in the 2024 NFL draft to acquire the 25-year-old.
As such, the nixed Jeudy trade will be another blight on the Jets' turbulent 2024 season, during which they fired head coach Robert Saleh after five games, parted with Douglas midseason and missed the playoffs for a 14th consecutive season.
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What is Jerry Jeudy's Madden rating?
Jeudy currently has a rating of 83 in the "Madden 25" game, per MaddenRatings.com. He finished the 2023 season with a rating of 81 in "Madden 24," which would have been his final rating before the offseason.
Below is a year-by-year look at Jeudy's "Madden" ratings since he entered the league in 2020. All metrics are his year-end ratings, save for the 2024 mark, which is through Week 15.
2020: 75
2021: 79
2022: 82
2023: 81
2024: 83
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Jerry Jeudy trade details
And below is a look at the picks Cleveland gave to Denver and the players they became.
Browns get:
WR Jerry Jeudy
Broncos get:
2024 fifth-round pick
2024 sixth-round pick
The Broncos used the fifth-round pick to move up at the beginning of Day 3 and select wide receiver Troy Franklin 102nd overall. The sixth-round pick was used to acquire former Jets quarterback Zach Wilson and the penultimate pick in the 2024 draft, used on interior offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo.
The Athletic reports that the Jets gave the Broncos the 256th pick instead of the 257th pick in the Wilson trade because Johnson wanted to own the Mr. Irrelevant selection in 2024.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jerry Jeudy Madden rating: Why Jets owner Woody Johnson nixed trade
