'Time To Perform!' Browns vs. Broncos More Than Revenge for Jerry Jeudy

Last October, as Jeudy and the Broncos were preparing to play the Kansas City Chiefs, former NFL wideout Steve Smith sat at the pregame show desk after having criticized Jeudy for being a "J.A.G.," or "just a guy" the Broncos spent a first-round pick on.

Jeudy was there behind the set, yelling at Smith. Smith acknowledged him and doubled down.

"I'm sorry that I said you were a J.A.G., just a guy who's an average wide receiver they used a first-round pick on that isn't doing anything," Smith said. "I hope today that you actually show up in a way that you haven't showed up in the last couple years since they drafted you. ... I'm sorry, for saying that you're an average wide receiver that they will eventually move on (from).

"And when teams call me and ask should they trade for you, I will say, 'No,' don't trade for Jerry Jeudy, because he's mentally unable to handle constructive criticism ... He can be a wide receiver. He's a Tier 3."

Jeudy didn't have a great year, and the following offseason, he was traded to Cleveland - where he's flourished.

Over the past month, he's been one of the most productive wideouts in the NFL, and he's on the brink of his first 1,000-yard season. 

Now, as Jeudy heads back to Denver for the first time since the trade, he's finally putting up first-round draft pick-type numbers, and he's excited to return to the city that drafted him.

"You know you always wanna beat the opposing team that you used to play for," Jeudy said of the emotions he felt about going back to the Mile High City fo face his former team. "That's just the competitive nature of us athletes. ... I ain't circle [this game], but I definitely seen it was on the schedule. Was very excited about it. And now it's here. It's time to perform."

Jeudy revealed this week that the trade to Cleveland was a result of his request to be traded, and it appears at least for now, it was the right choice.