Just before Elijah Moore asked for a trade of the nozzles In October, the recipient was sent home from the practice is said to have expressed his frustration and displeasure with his role in New York’s offense.
Moore failed to get the ball and produced numbers that paled in comparison to his promising performance as a rookie in 2021.
Three months later, more details have emerged from that outbreak, which took place behind closed doors, a situation that included a confrontation with former offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur.
After Zack Rosenblatt from the athlete Moore urged LaFleur to “walk on himself” in practice after being kept without a catch in a Week 6 win against the Packers.
Here’s more from the rose petal to the heated stock market:
His frustration carried over into practice this week. That Thursday, Moore surprised teammates and coaches by blowing up LaFleur and telling him to “go on himself” and “you fuck,” according to several people who witnessed the interaction. LaFleur and Saleh eventually decided to send Moore home to cool off. That night he asked for a trade.
The situation seemed resolved when LaFleur and Moore “embraced it,” per Rosenblatt. Moore and Denzel Mims, who also requested a swap last year, made no problems internally for the remainder of the season, the Rosenblatt added.
However, the product was not solved in the field. LaFleur and the Jets parted ways this offseason with the coordinator pursuing other options. Moore was targeted more frequently in the second half of the year, but he finished the season with 446 yards and 37 catches in 16 games. As a rookie, Moore had 538 yards and 43 receptions in 11 games.
Most importantly, heading into 2023, the Jets have significant issues at the quarterback position. Former No. 2 overall winner Zach Wilson failed to make a move in his second season with New York, a campaign that saw the Jets miss an opportunity to make the postseason, squandering an elite performance by their defense.
Both head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas have publicly endorsed Wilson since the end of last season. All signs point to the Jets considering (and pursuing) alternatives at the position this offseason, with Saleh and Douglas looking to improve that offense and capitalize on a stellar young core.
MORE:
Follow Max Goodman on Twitter (@MaxTGoodman), be sure to bookmark it Jets country and get daily updates, analytics and more.