It was a rough year two for New York Jets wide receiver Elijah Moore and smack-dab in the middle of it was an outright benching for disciplinary reasons. At the time, there had been rumblings that Moore and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur got into a shouting match at practice, but no direct quotes were ever released. Today on January 19, that changed in a big way.
During a sort of all-encompassing tell-all article on the 2022 offensive collapse, The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt dropped some massive insider information that he must have been saving until after the season was over. Here was the section on the Moore and LaFleur beef:
“The Jets’ simplistic approach to the passing game wasn’t sitting well with some wide receivers… Moore reportedly first expressed his displeasure to teammates after the [Green Bay] Packers game, questioning his future with the Jets. That night, he also responded to a tweet about his lack of targets by saying: ‘If I say what I really wanna say … I’ll be the selfish guy … just know I don’t understand either.'”
Rosenblatt continued, adding some more substance to this rumor: “His frustration spilled into practice that week. That Thursday, Moore surprised teammates and coaches by blowing up on LaFleur, telling him to ‘go f— yourself’ and ‘you suck,’ according to multiple people who witnessed the interaction. LaFleur and [Robert] Saleh ultimately decided to send Moore home to cool off. That night, he requested a trade.”
With Mike LaFleur Gone as OC, Can WR Elijah Moore Still Succeed With Jets?
If all of this is true, Moore would have probably been released on the spot in another era. In the modern-day NFL, however, talent is king.
The under-performing LaFleur is now out as OC and the short-tempered playmaker is still on the roster — for the time being at least. Can he still make a career for himself as a Jet? That remains to be seen.
Moore looked like a second-round sleeper during his rookie campaign, with 538 receiving yards and six total touchdowns in just 11 appearances and six starts. In 16 appearances and nine starts the following season, his numbers regressed in just about every category.
It was plainly obvious that something wasn’t right when watching Moore play inside LaFleur’s offense in 2022. Whether it was his chemistry with the different quarterbacks under center, the routes he was being asked to run, or his personal relationship with LaFleur — was another question entirely.
Now, per Rosenblatt, we finally have some context as to what the heck happened in practice that day, and why Saleh kept the talented receiver in the doghouse for so many weeks. It was definitely the right call by the Jets head coach, but what a mess this offense turned out to be under LaFleur.
Will the Jets Trade WR Elijah Moore in 2023?
After a story like this involving an F-bomb from a player directed at a high-ranking coach, you have to wonder if the Jets will end up trading Moore after all. During the 2022 season, they probably felt like they needed him if there was any chance of making the playoffs but with an entire offseason and draft just around the corner, there’s a chance Joe Douglas and Saleh change their mind.
The final verdict on Moore may come down to the new offensive coordinator and system. If the Jets hire someone that really likes what the Ole Miss product has to offer, they may just call it water under the bridge and start fresh with a new relationship between the wideout and his next OC.
On the other hand, if Moore is having trouble picking up the new scheme and the Jets add a couple of wide receivers to compliment Garrett Wilson, who knows what will happen.
Saleh’s entire culture is built on mutual respect between players and coaches. If that doesn’t go both ways and then he fails to properly rectify the situation, he’s playing with fire.
As fans of the team, let’s hope this is nothing more than a beat reporter clearing out his 2022 notebook. If it carries over into 2023 in any way, shape or form, it’s a problem.
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