Elijah Moore on his chemistry with Zach Wilson: 'I don't even know. I don't get the ball.'
New York Jets wide receiver Elijah Moore returned to the team last Monday after missing Week 7 against the Broncos. The Jets made him inactive after he requested a trade.
It seemed like enough of a message sent by the team. Apparently, the Jets felt it another one was warranted.
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Despite being active in Week 8 and with Corey Davis out with a knee injury, Moore played all of ten snaps against the New England Patriots. He saw just one target in the Jets 22-17 loss on Sunday.
"I didn't really impact anything but it's not about that," Moore told reporters. "I prepared the week the best I could. Whenever my name is called, I try to do my best. That is all that matters."
Moore is clearly still very frustrated. He had an idea of the game plan but still only managed to see limited action. He admitted that his relationship with Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur is "cool."
However, he didn't shy away from directing some frustration with his chemistry alongside quarterback Zach Wilson.
"I don’t know," Moore said. "I couldn’t even tell you. I don’t get the ball. I don’t know."
The Jets selected Moore in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He had 43 receptions for 538 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie.
This season, Moore has just 16 receptions for 203 yards. He has played last than 70% of the snaps over the last four weeks.
"It's a lot of factors that play into decisions and even just words," Moore said in a video shared by SNY. "Definitely a buildup and I'm not even focused on that no more. I'm here and I play for the Jets. I am trying to do what I can to help contribute to win."
Moore also added that people don’t know everything behind closed doors that he’d rather keep behind the scenes. He wishes he didn’t cause this much of a distraction because of his trade request.
"I just wish it didn't cause such a distraction for my teammates," Moore said. "It is what it is. There are things behind the scenes that a lot of people don't really know about. It's not all necessarily bad. But it's a lot of conversations that need to stay in house."
The NFL trade deadline is on Tuesday. It remains to be seen if the Jets will move Moore and grant his request.
Moore told The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt that he still stands on his decision. He mentioned that his only wish was to keep things internalized.
For now, Moore plans to continue preparing for each week with his teammates and contribute to winning games.
"I feel good about where I am at," Moore said. "I attack every day with the same preparation as I did before. I put my best foot forward and see what I can do when I get in the game."
Paste BN Sports+ producer Jaylon Thompson contributed to this report.