Elijah Moore’s days with the Jets could be coming to an end.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Moore was “frustrated” with his role on the team and has requested a trade. However, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports and Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reported that the team has no intention of trading the second-year receiver.
Moore’s trade request seems to stem from his lack of targets and production, despite the Jets (4-2) riding a three-game winning streak and posting their best start since 2015. In New York’s 27-10 victory against the Packers on Sunday, Moore was targeted just once, and the play was negated by a penalty.
The former Ole Miss star has played 343 snaps, which equates to 82% of the Jets’ offensive plays. That figure ranks first among the team’s wide receivers, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Moore was targeted at least four times through the first five weeks of the season.
However, Moore ranks sixth on the team in receptions (16), fifth in receiving yards (203) and fourth in targets (30) this season. In his rookie season, he appeared in 11 games and started six, recording 43 receptions for 538 yards and five touchdown catches while averaging 12.5 yards per reception.
Moore was reportedly excused from practice Thursday. But, according to Jets coach Robert Saleh, Moore’s absence was not due to his frustration. Saleh told reporters Thursday that Moore was granted a “personal day” and that he needed the day because of a family issue.
However, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Moore’s absence was directly related to his usage on the field. Before the Jets began practice on Thursday, Moore posted two cryptic tweets. One said, “Love my teammates!” and the second, since deleted, said “God I need direction.”
Those tweets come on the heels of his tweet after Sunday’s win about his lack of production, saying “If I say what I really wanna say … I’ll be the selfish guy … we winning. Grateful! Huge blessing! All I ever wanted. Butter sweet for me em but I’ll be solid. So I’ll just stay quiet Just know I don’t understand either.”
In an appearance on The Michael Kay Show on Monday, Saleh defended Moore’s comment, saying he knows where the receiver’s “heart” is and how “he walks in the building” but that every person is “entitled to mistakes” and sometimes “mistakes happen.”
Jets quarterback Zach Wilson, who finished 10-of-18 for 110 yards in Sunday’s game, told reporters that Moore is an important part of the team and that the team loves him.
“It’s not a thing where I’m trying to avoid him or whatever it is, because he’s a great player,” Wilson said. “I only had 10 completions last week, but we won the game, so it’s awesome. I love him, and I hope he understands he’s special to our team.”
Moore apparently wants to see some changes in his production in the Jets’ offense. Moore is competing for targets in a receivers group that includes Braxton Berrios, Corey Davis and Garrett Wilson.
However, in the past two games, the New York has only thrown the ball 39 times. Meantime, the Jets have relied more on their running game behind the play of rookie Breece Hall, who has 213 rushing yards on 38 attempts over those same two games.
The NFL’s trade deadline is Nov. 1 at 4 p.m. ET.
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