DENVER — When Shannon Sharpe, the former Broncos tight end great and Hall of Famer, criticized current Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson for having special privileges like an office upstairs at team headquarters and his own parking spaces at Empower Field at Mile High, receiver Jerry Jeudy came to his teammate’s defense.
First, Jeudy, who has emerged as the Broncos’ top receiver with 25 catches for 331 yards and three touchdowns in the last four games, took to Twitter to defend Wilson.
“I ain’t gonna keep looking at these false statements about my boii russ, man, as a teammate who sees the elite work ethic this man has is incomparable. He got an office because he’s committed his life to this game. I never had a teammate who motivate me more than Russ.”
Later in the locker room following the Broncos’ practice Thursday, Jeudy was asked about taking to social media to support his quarterback.
“Yeah, you all, the media, make it seem like you know what’s going on in the locker room and stuff like that – I’m just tired of reading things about my boy, making it seem like, ‘Oh, he’s not a good teammate, he don’t, other unnecessary stuff that’s not true, and I just wanted to get it out in the air that he is a good teammate and he is a hardworking teammate. I just feel like I needed to get that out there because there’s a lot of false narratives going around here that I’m getting tired of seeing.”
Another receiver, KJ Hamler, and left tackle Garett Bolles came off the injured reserve mat to follow Jeudy in going to Twitter to defend Wilson.
"This has been an extremely difficult season personally and even more difficult watching my brother Russ get beaten down with the hurtful attacks and lies,'' Bolles tweeted. "Russ pours his heart and soul into this game. More importantly, he pours his heart and sould into this TEAM. He is one of the greatest competitors and teammates I've been around."
Tweeted Hamler: "3 goes above and beyond to do whatever it takes to win for the team. Y’all not about to bash him and act like he still ain’t that same Russ who won a Super Bowl and was a 9 time pro bowler. I stand behind my QB love u 3"
This was all in reaction to Sharpe, a costar on the sports debate show "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed," saying the Broncos’ new head coach’s first move is to tell Wilson, “Russell Wilson, I’m locking this office. You will no longer have an office. All those parking spaces that you get at the stadium, they’re gone, too – because you’re putting yourself in front of the team. … You ticked a lot of people off with your attitude, bro. You can come out here and talk about we’re a team and I’m good with my teammates, but down inside they’re seething, and I’m going to leave it at that.”
Truth is, Wilson is afforded a few amenities around the Broncos' facility that other players don't. But it started with Tom Brady having his own personal trainer hanging around New England and now Tampa Bay and now other quarterbacks are coming up with their own wish list.
Wilson's biggest problem, perhaps, is he was expected to single-handedly lift the Broncos back to the postseason for the first time since 2015 and instead Denver is 4-11 and he is the No. 29-ranked quarterback.
It's not the first time Jeudy took to Twitter to respond to Sharpe criticism. Earlier this year, Sharpe tweeted about Jeudy's drops and Jeudy retaliated with a personal shot at the former tight end.
Jeudy did admit in another tweet: "We all know it's because we losing ... "
Wilson has been picked on by various media all year. A few weeks ago an NFL Network report said Wilson “has lost part of the locker room.” Again, several teammates came to Wilson’s defense saying the report was erroneous.
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