Oh my.
NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY revealed some new information about New York Jets wide receiver Malachi Corley that raised some eyebrows on social media.
“The Corley thing to me is like a wild, wild miss. Like, not even close. There was stuff last year where I guess we can talk about it now, like, he didn’t want to give the No. 17 to Davante Adams. Adams was like I’ll give you $20,000 for the number and Corley is like, ‘I want $120,000.’ Like crazy stuff like that, where it was like he didn’t want to play special teams because he thought he should be a starting receiver, and they’re like ‘dude, you’re a rookie.’ It’s just an entitlement, an immaturity, and it really dragged him down,” Hughes explained on “Jets Final Drive” via SNY.
… I’m sorry WHAT?!?!@Connor_J_Hughes revealed that Malachi Corley didn’t want to give up the No. 17 jersey to Davante Adams when he was traded to the #Jets last year.
Davante offered $20,000 for the jersey & Corley countered at $120,000! 😳
‘He didn’t want to play special… pic.twitter.com/hup9xINWgo
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) August 22, 2025
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Insider Adds More Info on Social Media
Hughes responded to me on X previously Twitter, clarifying that Corley asked for $117,000, not $120,000.
The “powers that be” forced Corley to give up the No. 17 jersey to Adams when they couldn’t agree on a price, Hughes revealed.
Adams still paid Corley $20,000 for the jersey number change, even though he didn’t have to after the team forced Malachi’s hand, Hughes explained.
$117k*
Powers that be made number change when MC didn’t agree. Adams paid him anyway
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) August 22, 2025
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A Damning Indictment for the Young Jets WR
This isn’t a good look for Corley.
All of this came out on social media ahead of the Jets’ preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles.
It appears the fame and glory of being the No. 65 overall pick in the third round got to Corley’s head.
Corley refused to play special teams because he believed he was a starting receiver. According to Pro Football Reference, Corley only appeared in eight special teams snaps during the 2024 season.
This would also explain why Corley was often a healthy scratch on gameday throughout his rookie campaign.
Corley Needed a Miracle and Safe to Say That Didn’t Happen
Ahead of the preseason finale, ESPN’s Rich Cimini said Corley needed a “miracle” to make the Jets’ 53-man roster.
Safe to say that didn’t happen on Saturday, August 22.
Corley finished with a big doughnut on the stat sheet. He was targeted twice but didn’t catch a pass. Corley’s only meaningful contributions came in the kick return game. He fielded two kicks, collected 51 yards, and averaged 25.5 yards per kick return.
The Jets and every other NFL team must reduce their roster to 53 players by Tuesday, August 26 at 4 pm. Corley isn’t expected to make the cut.
Cimini put out a 53-man roster prediction immediately after the Eagles game, and Corley didn’t make it.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic also posted a 53-man roster prediction; Corley didn’t make that one either.
“As for Corley: You can usually tell what a coaching staff feels about a player both by the reps he’s getting and in the way they talk about him. I don’t recall a single instance of Corley getting reps with the first-team offense during camp, and wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson gave him a tepid endorsement (at best) on Wednesday: ‘He’s been doing well,’ Jefferson said. ‘I need to do a better job of getting him more opportunities. Um, he fell a little behind, brand new system, he’s been playing catch up. But he’s doing fine,’ Jefferson told Rosenblatt.
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