$52.5 Million WR Breaks Silence on Failed Jets Trade

Heavy on Jets

The New York Jets attempted to make a big wide receiver trade this offseason but it never happened.

Gang Green offered veteran Allen Lazard and a day-two pick to the Denver Broncos for Jerry Jeudy. According to The Athletic, Jets owner Woody Johnson “nixed it” and instead Jeudy was traded to the Cleveland Browns.

After that failed trade went public, Jeudy responded on social media.

“Nah I did lol,” Jeudy said implying that he was the one who said no to the Jets as opposed to the other way around.

Jets Dodged a Bullet With This Trade

Often times the best move you can make is the one you didn’t.

Johnson reportedly nixed it, and Jeudy implies he rejected it, but either way, the result was the same.

Shortly after Jeudy was traded from the Broncos to the Browns for a 2024 fifth and a 2024 sixth-rounder he agreed to a new contract.

Jeudy inked a three-year deal for $52.5 million that included $41 million guaranteed at signing. That $17.5 million annual salary made Jeudy the No. 24 highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL, per Over The Cap.

However, he hasn’t quite played up to the standard of his pay. Jeudy has 39 receptions on the season which is tied for No. 43 in the NFL among pass catchers, per ESPN. If you want to throw out the results of this season because of the Deshaun Watson disaster in Cleveland, the rest of his career says the same thing.

Jeudy has never been a 1,000-yard receiver, hasn’t recorded more than 68 catches in a single year, and he doesn’t stay on the field. The former first-round draft choice has never started a full season since entering the league back in 2020. He is simply put – just a guy who is being paid to be much more than that.

Jeudy has gotten his laughs in on social media about the failed Jets trade attempt but you shouldn’t throw stones from a glass house. The Browns enter Week 12 with fewer wins (two) than the Jets (three).

The Jets have gotten a lot wrong, but missing out on Jeudy via trade isn’t one of them.

The Future of the Jets Wide Receiver Room Looks Incredibly Shaky

If Rodgers isn’t on the Jets, as many insiders have suggested, then what does that mean for his ex-Green Bay Packers teammates?

The Jets could get out of Lazard and Davante Adams’ contracts after this season if they saw fit. Lazard was actually on pace for a good year before he got hurt and Adams is a talented player that was thrown into this mess in the middle of the season.

However, we’ve seen what Lazard looks like without Rodgers and it isn’t very pretty. Adams has actually proven he doesn’t need Rodgers to be a very good player in the NFL. The Jets could bring him back and feel good about it but his contract would have to be reworked for that to be a possibility.

If they both leave with Rodgers, the Jets will be left with Garrett Wilson, an unproven Malachi Corley, and a bunch of names at wide receiver. Hardly inspiring.

This group might need an overhaul during the 2025 offseason. Something else to add to the offseason to do list.