Smith, a retired, 5x Pro Bowler, revealed he was involved in a pregame incident with 24-year-old Jeudy ... as the receivers came face-to-face, and it didn't exactly go smoothly.

“The word that I’ve used to describe him in the past was a J.A.G. -- Just A Guy. When I saw him, he’s playing well. I wanted to say to him face-to-face, ‘Hey, I know I said some things in the past I probably shouldn’t have and 'I’m sorry.’ That’s what I wanted to say to him. His response was, Ninja, I don’t mess with you. And, it was a curse word. So I was like, ‘All right.’ And, then he repeated it,” Smith told the NFL Network audience.

That's when the gloves came off.

"I'm sorry I said you were a JAG, 'Just A Guy' who is an average wide receiver [the Broncos] used a first-round pick on that isn't doing anything. I hope today you actually show up in a way that you haven't shown up in the last couple years since they drafted you."

Steve continued ... "So if you ever got a problem with Agent 89, I'm sorry for saying that you are an average wide receiver that they will eventually move on from. When teams call me to ask if they should trade for you, I will say 'No, don't trade for Jerry Jeudy because he is mentally unable to handle constructive criticism who watch specifically if you can be a wide receiver. He's a tier three."

Remember, this was all before the game even started.