'I'm out here now, so I'm good': Jerry Jeudy ready to stay on the field with Browns

BEREA — Jerry Jeudy's time with the Browns has, for the most part, been spent with the wide receiver standing behind the offense watching.

Jeudy did not participate at all in on-field practice during the minicamp in June because of an undisclosed injury. After working with a trainer to the side over the first five practices at The Greenbrier, he finally made his way into individual drills Thursday and Friday.

So where was Jeudy as the Browns held their first training camp at their own facility on Sunday?

"I'm good," Jeudy said before Sunday's practice. "I'm out here today. So I'm good."

Asked if that meant Jeudy was going to be in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills as well, he replied, "Yeah, yeah." What he wouldn't go into was the exact nature of the injury that had prevented almost anyone from seeing the Browns' prime offseason acquisition on the field, saying, "We don't even got to talk about all that. I'm good. I'm out here now, so I'm good."

Turns out, Jeudy really was "good." That was evident in multiple plays throughout Sunday's 90-minute practice, the first time Browns fans were able to see the wide receiver acquired in mid-March from the Denver Broncos.

Jeudy showcase the speed on one throw during 7 on 7 where he ran a slant route, pulled in a laser-beam throw from quarterback Deshaun Watson and then outran everyone to the end zone. That was merely the appetizer for the main course, which came on the final play of practice.

Matched up during 11 on 11 with cornerback Kahlef Hailassie, Jeudy ran a go route down the right sideline. Watson threw a perfectly placed pass right on Jeudy, who reached out to catch the ball in front of Hailassie before coming down at about the 1.

"It's nice how accurate he is," Jeudy said of Watson before practice. "Deshaun throw a nice ball. So seeing him out there, I've been watching Deshaun since he was in college, he always threw a nice ball. I seen it in person is even more tremendous. So I'm excited to see what we do this year."

Jeudy dealt with no fewer than six starting quarterbacks while he was with Denver, ranging from Drew Lock to Brett Rypien to Russell Wilson to Jarrett Stidham. Watson is the latest quarterback with whom he'll be playing, but he said he's not worried about the missed time creating issues with developing chemistry with Watson.

"No, I got a lot of mental reps when I wasn't practicing," Jeudy said. "So the mentor reps I feel like was extremely important and extremely helpful. So when I get out there, I'm going to be right where I left off at."

What the Browns need Jeudy to do is exceed where he left off in Denver, where he had 211 catches for 3,053 yards and 11 touchdowns in 57 games over four seasons. That's why they almost immediately gave him a three-year, $58 million extension after the trade.

The injury may have just been a minor roadblock for Jeudy, a brief delay to what he's calling a chance at a "new vibe, new atmosphere, new coaches and the energy different."

"Jerry's been a really fun addition to this group," Stefanski said. "I think he does an outstanding job in the meeting room, on the practice field, has a great attitude, works very hard. Obviously we're excited to get him back out there and full speed and working with his teammates, but he fits in with us how we operate. We're excited to have him."

Jeudy came into the league with a group of wide receivers that included the Dallas Cowboys' Cee Dee Lamb, the Minnesota Vikings' Justin Jefferson, the San Francisco 49ers' Brandon Aiyuk and the Cincinnati Bengals' Tee Higgins. All four have either landed massive new contracts or are expected to get them, either from their current teams or from another one.

All four of those have also, at the barest of minimums, established themselves as consistent weapons for their respective offenses. Jeudy, meanwhile, is hoping his second team is where the consistency finally emerges for him.

"The only person that I compare myself is me," Jeudy said. "I'm the one that going through what I'm going through, so everybody's situation different. So of course I want to come here and show I am the best … to come here and show y'all and to do. So I'm excited about that and excited to see what this season holds."

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 'I'm out here now, so I'm good': Jerry Jeudy ready to stay on the field with Browns