New York Jets wide receiver Malachi Corley (14) is shown as he prepares for the game, Thursday, October 31, 2024, in East Rutherford. Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Reports: Malachi Corley Refused New York Jets Request

Originally posted on New York Jets on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Aug 31, 2025 9:00 AM ET

Over the course of the offseason, there was a lot of discourse about former New York Jets wide receiver.

He didn't say much publicly to trigger the noise. But, he was selected in the third round of the 2024 National Football League Draft and was clearly on the roster bubble throughout the summer. As we got closer to roster cut-down day, stories started popping up about Corley, including one about how he didn't want to initially give up the No. 17 after the Jets acquired Davante Adams last year.

SNY's Connor Hughes shared another surprising story on "Jets Final Drive" while speaking with The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt about how Corley was asked about learning different positions, including special teams, but that he refused.

The former Jets receiver didn't work out in New York

"When I looked into it, I was told basically there were times in which the Jets went to him and wanted him to learn a handful of different positions so they could use him in a handful of different ways," Hughes said. "He wasn't putting in the effort to do that stuff.

"They wanted to use him on special teams, he went and told Shawn Jefferson ‘absolutely not, I’m a receiver I don’t play special teams.’ In fact, I was told that he actually skipped one special teams meeting when he was supposed to be playing special teams so they sat him down for awhile. It's not like he's a bad guy. It's not like he's out there getting into trouble with the law or being a bad teammate, it's just an immaturity problem."

That's somewhat suprising to hear, especially for a young guy who wasn't guaranteed a role with the franchise. But, now that is over and in the past. The Jets moved on from Corley and now he is a member of the Cleveland Browns.

The Jets selected Corley with the No. 65 overall pick in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. That led to three total receptions in nine games with the Jets and now he is elsewhere.

This article first appeared on New York Jets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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