Trades between NFL teams often fall through because of failed physicals or other unexpected circumstances. The New York Jets and Denver Broncos, however, saw a trade fail due to a video game.
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According to a new report from The Athletic, the Jets and Broncos were quite close to a deal that would send wide receiver Jerry Jeudy to the AFC East. This would have given quarterback Aaron Rodgers another weapon on the offense. Multiple sources told The Athletic that Jets owner Woody Johnson shut down the deal because of the "Madden" video game.
"(GM Joe) Douglas told the Broncos that Johnson didn't want to make the trade because the owner felt Jeudy's player rating in 'Madden NFL,' the popular video game, wasn't high enough, according to multiple league sources," an in-depth article from The Athletic states.
The outlet added that "Madden" also caused Johnson to push back against the signing of free-agent guard John Simpson. The Jets signed Simpson anyway, and he has started all 14 games so far while allowing only one sack. According to Pro Football Focus, Simpson has a pass-blocking grade of 77.6, which is ninth-best out of 128 guards.
"Madden" reportedly caused the Jeudy trade to fall through, but what was the fallout?
The Jets are 4-10 and near the end of a season in which they have fired head coach Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas. They added Davante Adams to the roster via trade before the deadline. He has caught 49 passes for 651 yards and five touchdowns.
Jeudy, for comparison, headed to the Browns in a March trade. He has appeared in 14 games this season, starting 13, while becoming a key weapon for a rotating lineup of quarterbacks. Jeudy has caught 70 passes for 1,052 yards — both career-best marks. He has scored four touchdowns while averaging 15.0 yards per reception.
The Browns, much like the Jets, have been eliminated from playoff contention. They are 3-11 with three games remaining in the season.
