Cleveland’s receiving corps has generated plenty of optimism this offseason thanks to a pair of promising rookies in KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, but longtime Cleveland columnist Terry Pluto believes the most unpredictable variable in that entire room might actually be the veteran. Jerry Jeudy enters 2026 with his role already changing under new head coach Todd Monken, moving from his usual spot outside to a more motion-heavy assignment as the Z receiver. Pluto raised a fair question about which version of Jeudy Browns fans should expect to see this season, given how dramatically his production dropped between his first 2 years in Cleveland.
“Jeudy is back. But who is he? Is he the Jeudy who caught 90 passes for the Browns in 2024 and was a legitimate Pro Bowl selection? Or the Jeudy who caught 50 passes for the Browns in 2025 and dropped 10 passes? The new coach plans to use him more in motion rather than being a stationary receiver lined up outside. Will that work? I don’t have that answer. I’m curious to see what Monken does with Jeudy,” Pluto wrote.
Jeudy’s 2024 campaign produced 90 receptions for 1,229 yards, numbers that earned him a Pro Bowl selection and established him as a legitimate top target within Cleveland’s offense. That production fell off significantly in 2025, when he finished with just 50 catches for 602 yards, a decline compounded by 10 dropped passes that suggest the issues went beyond targets or quarterback play.
Monken’s decision to move Jeudy into more of a motion-based role represents a genuine scheme change. Rather than lining up as a stationary outside receiver, Jeudy will now be schemed into space, a role that he could either thrive or fail significantly in.
That uncertainty is what makes Jeudy such an intriguing factor for Cleveland’s offense this season. A bounce-back season resembling his 2024 form would give Monken a legitimately dangerous 3-headed group, while a repeat of last year’s drop-plagued campaign could leave Cleveland leaning even more heavily on its rookies sooner than expected. Either way, how Jeudy responds to his new role may end up saying more about this offense’s ceiling than almost anything else this season.
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