Frustrated Jets WR Elijah Moore excused from practice
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- New York Jets wide receiver Elijah Moore, who has expressed frustration over his lack of involvement in the offense, was excused from practice Thursday amid growing speculation about his relationship with the team.
Coach Robert Saleh, in brief comments to reporters on the field, said Moore was given "a personal day" because of a family issue. A source said Moore's absence was more football-related, with another source saying Moore has expressed unhappiness to members of the organization.
Minutes before the Jets took the practice field, Moore sent two cryptic tweets. The first tweet said, "Love my teammates!" The second tweet, since deleted, said, "God I need direction."
Moore, a 2021 second-round pick who showed promise as a rookie, has been a nonfactor this season. He has only 16 receptions, no touchdowns and had no official targets in Sunday's 27-10 upset of the Green Bay Packers.
A few hours after the game, Moore tweeted about not being targeted, saying, "If I say what I really wanna say ... I'll be the selfish guy... we winning. Grateful! Huge blessing! All I ever wanted. Butter sweet for me em but I'll be solid. So I'll just stay quiet Just know I don't understand either."
Both Saleh and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur have discussed the matter with Moore. On Monday, Saleh, referring to the tweet, defended Moore's character, but added, "Sometimes mistakes happen."
"We've had open dialogues," LaFleur said Thursday. "We're going to keep it in-house." LaFleur declined to get into specifics as to why Moore isn't getting more opportunities. He's sixth on the team in total receptions even though he has run the most routes (215), according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
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"We want those guys to be ultracompetitive and want the ball," LaFleur said of the receivers. "We're going to do what we feel is best to score points and win football games and he's a big part of that."
Quarterback Zach Wilson said he "will just keep encouraging [Moore]. We love him. I know how important he is to this team. We'll do everything we can. We're winning games; we're having a lot of fun; and we'll just keep learning and growing and letting him know I need him."
Wilson, explaining Moore's decline in production, said the Jets simply haven't been throwing as much -- only 39 attempts the past two games.
"It's not a thing where I'm trying to avoid him or whatever it is, because he's a great player," Wilson said. "I'm just going through my progressions. We're always talking about routes, how we can clean things up every week. It's being patient and trusting the process. I only had 10 completions last week, but we won the game, so it's awesome. I love him, and I hope he understands he's special to our team."
The Jets (4-2), winners of three straight, are off to their best start since 2015. They're ranked 17th in total yards and 10th in scoring, dramatic improvements from last season.
Asked whether Moore is getting open, LaFleur hedged, saying, "A lot of factors go into that." Citing competitive reasons, he didn't want to provide details.
Moore's close friend, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown, offered his take with the since-deleted tweet. With a photo of him and Moore, Brown tweeted, "One of the strongest people I know. Tough times don't last, tough people do. We smile in the midst of adversity because we know God is doing the fighting. Love ya and see you soon."
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