Last season, Jets wide receiver Elijah Moore requested to be traded.
On Wednesday, he finally got his wish.
The Browns acquired Moore and a third-round pick (No. 74 overall) from the Jets in exchange for a second-round pick (No. 42 overall), according to a source. Gang Green parted ways with Moore minutes after the team agreed to a one-year deal with Mecole Hardman.
Moore will head to Cleveland after two eventful seasons in New York. After being selected in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Moore recorded 43 receptions for 538 yards and five touchdowns during his rookie season. His second season was filled with confusion off the field.
Coming off a 27-10 victory at Green Bay last October, Moore was attacked zero times by quarterback Zach Wilson. Hours after the game, Moore’s date tweeted a Twitter post confirming the lack of targets in the matchup.
“If I say what I really mean…I’ll be the selfish guy…we’ll win,” Moore said in a since-deleted tweet. “Grateful! Huge blessing! Everything I wanted. Bittersweet for me, but I’ll be solid. So I’ll keep quiet. Just know I don’t understand either.
Things didn’t get better for Moore the following week, as he reportedly got into a verbal disagreement with then-Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur during practice. Moore was sent home, but Jets coach Robert Saleh told reporters the second-year player was unable to attend practice because of a “family matter.”
Shortly after that, Moore sent out a series of cryptic tweets.
“God I need direction,” Moore sent in a now-deleted tweet. He also tweeted: “God doesn’t make mistakes…I trust you through all of this.”
After he was sent home from practice, Moore petitioned the Jets to trade him. Saleh and the Jets declined to grant Moore’s request since he did not travel to Denver with the Jets in their Week 7 16-9 win against the Broncos.
the striped express
Weekly
The Daily News sports editors curate the best Yankees stories of the week from our award-winning columnists and writers. Delivered to your inbox every Wednesday.
Moore played the following week in a 22-17 loss to the Patriots, telling reporters he was sorry for how he handled the situation.
( Jets WR Elijah Moore breaks his silence days after trade deadline passes )
“What happened to me, I can’t change that,” Moore said. “I just wish it didn’t cause such a distraction for my teammates.
“It is what it is, things that go on behind the scenes that people don’t really know about. It’s not all necessarily bad, but there are many conversations that need to stay at home.
“I feel good about where I am. I register with the same preparation that I did before. I put my best foot forward.”
Saleh went on to say that Moore was a big part of the Jets’ offense, but that never translated on the field. He finished the season with 37 catches for 446 yards and a touchdown. Halfway through last season, Moore only caught one pass in four games.
With the addition of Allen Lazard and Hardman, Moore’s touches are likely to diminish in the Jets’ system with new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. The Jets also have Garrett Wilson, Corey Davis and Denzel Mims on their roster.
Gang Green has had interest in potentially signing Odell Beckham Jr., but it’s unknown if signing Hardman will prevent them from doing so.
