The NFL world was rocked Thursday morning by a bombshell Athletic report highlighting the purported chaos and dysfunction plaguing the 4–10 New York Jets.
But among the article's many juicy tidbits, one of which involved owner Woody Johnson cursing out then apologizing to a former team QB, was perhaps the most telling story of them all: Johnson allegedly passed on a trade to acquire then-Denver Bronco Jerry Jeudy because the wide receiver's Madden rating was too low.
Jeudy is now having a standout season with the Cleveland Browns, video game ratings be damned, while the Jets missed playoffs yet again. Yes, New York has some strong wideouts on its roster, and no, it's not like the Browns are bringing home Super Bowl rings, either—but who knows if Jeudy could have made a difference in New York earlier on? All in all, it's just another example of the Jets being the Jets—a struggling franchise that can't get out of its own way.
In any event, the 25-year-old WR has taken his unwitting spin in the news cycle in stride. He started by playfully "blaming" Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, a Madden ratings adjustor, in a post on social media. But he said a bit more on the matter later Thursday afternoon.
"To be honest, I don't believe that. I think that's fake news, for real," Jeudy said, referencing the supposed Madden-thwarted trade. "Why would somebody look at Madden ratings? Be real. I don't think that's real, but it's funny."
Browns WR Jerry Jeudy said he doesn’t believe the report that Jets owner Woody Johnson vetoed a trade because his Madden rating (81) was too low. pic.twitter.com/qH3S2c7L60
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) December 19, 2024
It does seem so wild as to be unbelievable. But hey, when you haven't made the playoffs in 14 consecutive seasons, you'll probably try anything to win.
More of the Latest Around the NFL
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jerry Jeudy Dismisses Reports of 'Madden'-Thwarted Trade as 'Fake News'.
