Getty Former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley and New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
New York Jets rookie wide receiver Malachi Corley is trying to get in with quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
One way he has attempted to do that is by texting Rodgers throughout the week and calling him on draft day to foster a relationship.
“Yeah, I only talked to him on draft night. I’ve texted him the last couple of nights, I’m just a little kid like he’s the adult, he’s the MVP, he’s the Hall of Famer, and all of those types of things. I’m just like a little kid talking to him all the time texting him trying to see what he has done to stay consistent in the league, the things he’s done to work on his mental health, how he has kept his body alive so long,” Corley explained.
“So I’ve had conversations with him. He said I can stay in his guesthouse if I want to. So yeah me and him are close that’s going to be my dawg while I’m here. I damn right will [take Rodgers up on his offer].”
Hilarious 🤣
#Jets WR @CorleyMalachi revealed that he’s been texting @AaronRodgers12 the last couple of nights picking his brain on everything from football to mental health to keeping your body right. He said A-Rod even invited him to stay at his guesthouse.
Malachi Corley Receives Some Massive Praise
NFL Insider Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report said emphatically that Corley, “is the next Jets playmaker! He’s the perfect complement to Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams — and will quickly become a top target for Aaron Rodgers.”
During an appearance on FS1’s “Speak”, Schultz called Corley, “Deebo Samuel 2.0.”
That isn’t the first time Corley has been compared to the talented San Francisco 49ers star.
“I think it is an amazing honor,” Corley said when he’s compared to Samuel. “It’s an honor to be mentioned with somebody that is such a highly touted player.”
Although Corley said he believes he has even more to offer than what he has shown.
“I’m still young, I’m just now getting my feet wet. I think I’ve hardly scratched the surface of who I am as a player. I think the yards-after-catch thing is just something that I do. But just trying to elevate my game and pass that label of being a gadget player and a weapon and all those things.”
Jets Staff Is Excited About the Corley Offensive Possibilities
Head coach Robert Saleh admitted that Corley is “raw from a route running ability standpoint so we are obviously attacking that.”
However, there is plenty that Corley can do.
“Getting him the ball and the creativity that comes with it I think we’re all having a lot of fun looking at ways to get him the ball. He is unique in that way,” Saleh added.
Oh baby!
#Jets HC Robert Saleh revealed that he & the coaching staff ‘are all having a lot of fun looking at ways to get @CorleyMalachi the ball.’ 👀
Saleh also told @Connor_J_Hughes that they can take stuff from the #49ers on how they used Deebo Samuel & how his role evolved…
Corley earned the nickname “YAC King” for his affinity to make plays once the ball gets into his hands.
From 2021 through this past year, Corley accumulated 2,068 yards after the catch which is “by far the most in the FBS” over that period of time, according to Jets senior reporter Eric Allen.
Those are impressive numbers, but Corley’s skill set requires an offense that can create orchestrated touches for him to succeed. The Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett wasn’t exactly described as a creative offensive mind in his first season with the team in 2023.
As a matter of fact, he orchestrated one of the worst offenses in team history. That puts a lot of pressure on Hackett to flip the script or on Rodgers to serve as the quasi-offensive coordinator on top of his starting quarterback duties.