When it came to the Monday Night Football matchup between the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos, Jerry Jeudy was one of game’s undisputed stars.
But despite the wideout amassing 235 receiving yards — the most an NFL player has ever recorded against his former team — his most vocal critic remained unmoved.
“I’m sorry I dozed off. How did they do? Was it a big win?” Mark Schlereth wrote on X, reposting a graphic touting Jeudy’s big night.
The Fox analyst, of course, already knew the answer to that question, with the Broncos having beaten the Browns 41-32. And while there weren’t many — if any — others singling out Jeudy for Cleveland’s shortcomings on Monday night, that Schlereth was the exception hardly came as a surprise.
After all, the former Broncos offensive lineman has been one of Jeudy’s biggest critics dating back to the wide receiver’s four-year career in Denver. And Schlereth only amplified his criticism after the Broncos traded the former Alabama star to the Browns, who proceeded to sign him to a three-year, $58 million extension.
“I’ve been telling you for the last two years what a bust Jerry Jeudy is at the wide receiver position,” the Breakfast Ball co-host said in a video posted to social media after the trade was first announced. “He’s just not a great football player. Doesn’t run secondary routes well to attract coverage, drops the football, doesn’t block. Good riddance! Listen, that is not the kind of player you need here in Denver to rebuild this thing. I’m more than glad he’s gone. But I’ll tell you this, I’ll never forget you Jimmy Jeudy.”
Schlereth’s repeated criticism even prompted a response from Jeudy, himself, who referred to the 58-year-old as a “hating ass dude.”
That seemed to be the end of that, with the 2020 first-round pick enjoying a steady but unspectacular first season in Cleveland, thanks in large part to the Browns’ inconsistent quarterback play. Monday, however, marked not just the best game of Jeudy’s season, but also his career, as tallied nine catches for 235 yards and a touchdown.
Considering the Broncos still walked away from the game with a win, nobody would have faulted Schlereth for sitting this one out. Instead, the two-time Pro Bowl guard opted to take an unprovoked shot at Jeudy, as if he was the one who threw two pick-6s for the Browns on Monday night.
Look, we’ve all been there: you have a take that hasn’t aged particularly well and you have to decide whether to address it or ignore it. In this instance, Schlereth opted for the former, doubling down rather than admitting he might have been wrong about a 25-year-old player who spent the first four years of his career in a bad situation.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is Man 101.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.