News of the Denver Broncos benching Russell Wilson in favor of Jarrett Stidham for the final two games of 2023 rocked the NFL world on Wednesday. Apparently, it also rocked the Broncos' locker room, according to WR Jerry Jeudy.
Talking to reporters shortly after the news broke, Jeudy was forthright about the rest of the team's reaction. “I think it was a surprise to everybody in our locker room,” he admitted, courtesy of Denver Sports' Andrew Mason.
Jeudy continued: “Yeah, I was pretty surprised. He (head coach Sean Payton) just told us out of nowhere. So, I was pretty surprised having Russ our starting quarterback the whole year, then the last two games, being a switch.”
While Jeudy might've been caught off-guard by Payton's decision, it's not as if the Wilson-Jeudy connection was lighting up the scoreboard. In fact, Jeudy might be the player best suited to benefit in Denver's last two games from this switch.
QB change a boon for Jeudy?
Jeudy has endured a slow 2023 season as Wilson and the Broncos offense has operated as a low-ceiling unit. The 2020 first-round pick out of Alabama hasn't seen more than seven targets in any game so far this season.
In 2022, Jeudy exceeded that number six times. He's followed up a six-touchdown season with just one so far in this campaign.
Payton gradually asked Wilson to do less and less in his offensive game plans. But when Wilson did drop back and let it rip, he was more likely to look the way of WR Courtland Sutton.
With Sutton currently in NFL concussion protocol and a new starting quarterback that threw for 365 yards in one of his two NFL starts, Jeudy might be looking at a strong finish to an otherwise miserable 2023 season.
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