Jerry Jeudy earns AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors

In further evidence that Jerry Jeudy was underutilized much of the season until the Broncos started playing him more outside, the wide receiver was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in Denver’s 31-28 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Jeudy caught five of six passes for a career-high 154 yards while also setting career highs in rushes and rushing yards - three carries for 39 yards. He had no touchdowns but several other receivers took care of that while he helped get the ball in excellent field position. Jeudy’s average catch yardage on Sunday was 31 yards and his longest was a 57-yard grab.

This season, Jeudy started 14-of-15 games, recording career highs in receptions (67), yards (972) and touchdowns (6). His 458 receiving yards from Weeks 14-18 were the most in the AFC and fourth most in the NFL.

The wideout - who has been one of the few starting wide receivers the past few weeks - earned his third 100-yard receiving game on Sunday, which was his second in the last three weeks and fifth of his career.

Jeudy’s 193 scrimmage yards are the second-most by an AFC wide receiver in a single game this season and the most by a Bronco since Sanders in 2015. His 154 receiving yards are the most by a Broncos pass catcher since wide receiver Courtland Sutton’s 159 in Week 2 of the 2021 season.

And in further evidence of how much the Broncos’ offense has underperformed in the last several seasons, Jeudy is the first Bronco to garner AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors since 2018 when then-running back Phillip Lindsay earned it in Week 12 and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders got it in Week 7.

Jeudy is the third Bronco this season to be awarded Player of the Week accolades but first for the offense. Punter Corliss Waitman was named AFC Special Teams Player of Week for Week 3 and defensive end Dre’Mont Jones was selected as AFC Defensive Player of the Week following Week 8.

The Broncos are one of five AFC teams in 2022 to have players earn Player of the Week honors on offense, defense and special teams.

Drafted in 2020 in the first round, Jeudy is the eighth different Broncos wide receiver to be named AFC Offensive Player of the Week, joining Sanders (2018), Demaryius Thomas (2013, ’14), Eric Decker (2013), Brandon Marshall (2008, ‘09), Rod Smith (2005), Anthony Miller (1995) and Vance Johnson (1989).