Just days after voicing his displeasure with the role in the Jets offense, wide receiver Elijah Moore did not practice with the team Thursday.
According to Jets coach Robert Saleh, Moore was excused from practice to deal with a family matter. This was after Moore sent a series of cryptic tweets right as practice began.
“God, I need direction,” Moore sent in a now-deleted tweet. He also tweeted, “God makes no mistakes…I trust u through it AllllllI.”
After the Jets 27-10 victory over the Packers late Sunday night, Moore responded to a tweet that said he had zero targets in the game.
“If I say what I really wanna say… I’ll be the selfish guy…we winning,” Moore said. “Grateful! Huge blessing! All I ever wanted. Bittersweet for me, but I’ll be solid. So I’ll just stay quiet. Just know I don’t understand either.”
This season through six games has been a difficult one for Moore. He has just 16 catches for 203 yards and zero touchdowns. In his rookie season, Moore finished with 43 receptions for 538 yards and five touchdowns.
But he has been a forgotten man in the Jets offense with the additions of Garrett Wilson, along with tight ends Tyler Conklin and C.J. Uzomah. Not to mention, the Jets have been focusing their offense around Breece Hall and the running game.
“These guys are competitors,” Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said. “I’ve coached that position before for a couple of years and been in that room. You want those guys to be ultra-competitive and want the ball. Ultimately, we are going to do what’s best to score and win football games.
“He’s a big part of that. It’s a testament to the guys. We have five guys with over 200 yards receiving right now, on top of that, the running backs doing what they’re doing and the touchdowns that they got. How many times have we been tackled at the one-on-a-pass play?
“Guys are competitors, they want to contribute as much as possible and we are going to continue to do whatever we think is best for this offense.”
What also has kept Moore from getting more receptions recently has been the return of Zach Wilson from a bone bruise and meniscus injuries. In the three games with backup Joe Flacco starting under center, Moore caught 12 passes for 139 yards. Since Wilson has returned, Moore has just four receptions for 91 yards in three games.
“We’ve had open dialogues,” LaFleur said. “But we are going to keep it in-house.”
The Jets have been a surprise team in the AFC so far this season. Moore’s said he wasn’t going to be a distraction to the team, but this has become a bit of one with Gang Green 4-2 and heading to Denver for a showdown against the Broncos this weekend, who have the third-best defense in the NFL (290.3 yards per game).
“I love little bro,” Jets wide receiver Corey Davis said. “Great player, great character, great attitude. He just wants to help us win.
“I’m going to stay with him. I love little bro. He will be alright though.”
ANOTHER ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
This year, the Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week award winner has received a belt. The Jets will continue to hold on to the belt for another week.
Hall was named the NFL Rookie of the Week after rushing for 116 yards and a touchdown against the Packers in Week 6. This was the first time Hall had surpassed the century mark in his career.
In six games, Hall has 609 scrimmage yards for the season. Hall also won the NFL Rookie of the Week award in Week 4 after rushing for 66 yards and a touchdown against the Steelers.
This is the fourth time a Jets player has claimed the award this season. In Week 2, Garrett Wilson won after caught eight receptions for 102 yards and two touchdowns in the 31-30 victory over the Browns. Cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner won in Week 5 after grabbing his first career interception in the 40-17 rout of the Dolphins.
