Former Jets WR Malachi Corley
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The Malachi Corley era for the Jets is coming to an end after just one season.
The nature of the NFL is that it’s a tough business. If you don’t deliver high-end value, a team will find someone else who will. Sometimes, things like prospect pedigree can only keep a player around for so long. The New York Jets had to deal with that reality ahead of Tuesday’s mandatory cutdown deadline.
Unfortunately, it’s the end of the line for a recent draft pick. Wide receiver Malachi Corley, a 2024 third-round pick, is being waived by the team. Jordan Schultz first reported the development.
“Sources: The Jets are waiving WR Malachi Corley,” Schultz’s tweet began. “The former 3rd-round pick out of Western Kentucky is a talented player who needed a change of scenery and a better scheme fit.”
Sources: The #Jets are waiving WR Malachi Corley.
The former 3rd-round pick out of Western Kentucky is a talented player who needed a change of scenery and a better scheme fit. pic.twitter.com/SdlKdQ2aJ3
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 26, 2025
Jets Make Quick Decision to End Malachi Corley Era
Things simply never quite clicked for Corley, who went 65th overall some 16 months ago. The former Western Kentucky star set the football world on fire by going over 100 catches and adding 1,295 yards as a sophomore for the Hilltoppers, then producing another 11-touchdown campaign in 2023. That, combined with excellent post-catch chops, saw his draft stock rise.
Despite that, Corley never made an impact as a rookie. He played in just nine regular-season games, recording all of 3 catches on 6 targets for 16 yards. His most notable play as a Jet was a goal-line fumble of the football prior to crossing into the end zone.
Corley’s 2024 struggles, combined with lackluster production and availability this offseason, put him on notice. He entered the preseason on the roster bubble and had an 8-yard catch in the month of August. He also returned four kickoffs for 101 yards, which led the Jets.
Over the weekend, Connor Hughes of SNY revealed more information that makes the Corley era look even worse in retrospect.
“The Corley thing to me is like a wild, wild miss,” Hughes said, per Heavy.com’s Paul Esden Jr. “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.”
This story is being updated.