Jerry Jeudy earned a Pro Bowl berth in his first season with the Browns. He can set a franchise record with just six more catches in the last game in Baltimore. (Cleveland Browns)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
The Browns have as many Pro Bowlers as wins – three.
Defensive end Myles Garrett and cornerback Denzel Ward were selected for the sixth and fourth time, respectively.
The big surprise was that receiver Jerry Jeudy made it for the first time in his career.
And Jeudy joined Garrett as starters for the AFC squad.
It continues an amazing first season with the Browns for Jeudy, who was deemed an underachiever in four seasons in Denver after the Broncos made him the 15th overall pick of the 2020 draft.
Browns GM Andrew Berry traded fifth- and sixth-round picks in 2024 for Jeudy in March. That price-tag was a bargain and reflected Broncos coach Sean Payton’s desire to turn the page.
But when Berry doubled-down on Jeudy with a three-year contract extension for $58 million, including $41 million in guarantees, it raised eyebrows around the league.
And when the Browns’ season got off to a 1-6 start with Deshaun Watson at quarterback, it seemed that Berry’s generosity was unwarranted. Jeudy labored with 21 catches for 266 yards and one touchdown. He had but one catch in each of Watson’s last three games.
Everything changed when Watson’s season ended with an Achilles tendon injury and Jameis Winston took over at quarterback.
Coinciding with the trade of Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills on October 15, Jeudy became the Browns’ No. 1 receiver, and he started to play like it. He had 24 catches over the next four games.
And then, in a game against his former team, after Jeudy said he wanted to “whip their ass,” Jeudy torched the Broncos for nine catches on 13 targets for 235 yards. The prime-time performance against All-Pro Denver cornerback Patrick Surtain on “Monday Night Football” had to earn Jeudy a lot of Pro Bowl votes.
Over his last 10 games, which included two games with Dorian Thompson-Robinson relieving Winston at quarterback, Jeudy has 63 catches for 900 yards and three touchdowns.
(Meanwhile, in eight games with the Bills, Cooper has 20 catches for 297 yards and two touchdowns.)
Overall, Jeudy ranks third among AFC receivers with 84 receptions and 1,166 yards.
With six receptions in the final game in Baltimore on Saturday, Jeudy would break the Browns’ all-time record of 89 catches in a season.
The repeated selections of Garrett and Ward were no surprise.
Garrett is chasing a second consecutive defensive player-of-the-year award. His 14 sacks match Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson for the league lead and he also leads with 21 tackles for loss. Last week, Garrett became the first player since 1982 to record at least 14 sacks in four consecutive seasons.
Ward leads the NFL with 19 passes broken up, and has two interceptions.
It’s possible the Browns will send other players to the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on February 2.
Named as alternates were guard Joel Bitonio, punter Corey Bojorquez, running back Nick Chubb, tight end David Njoku, linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, and guard Wyatt Teller.
Chubb and JOK had season-ending injuries, but the others could be named as replacements for players who opt out of the Pro Bowl Games because of injuries or participation in the Super Bowl.