Malachi Corley makes cryptic social media posts after healthy scratch

The NY Jets had high expectations for Malachi Corley when they used the first pick in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft to select the former Western Kentucky standout.

Both general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh were publicly enamored with Corley, with reports suggesting that he was ranked as the team's fourth-best wide receiver in his entire draft class. Yes, that would imply he was ahead of standouts such as Brian Thomas Jr., Ladd McConkey, etc.

Despite the Jets' apparent adoration of Corley, the rookie wideout has played just two offensive snaps through the first five weeks of the season. The low point was a healthy scratch in the team's Week 5 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

One might imagine Corley hasn't taken kindly to his unexplained absence to this point, and those imagining that would seemingly be correct. Corley doesn't seem pleased.

Malachi Corley subtly calls out NY Jets on social media

Corley took to Instagram on Monday with a series of posts that subtly hinted at his frustrations with the Jets and his lack of playing time. He shared screenshots of several X (formerly Twitter) posts that showcased his achievements at Western Kentucky, adding his own captions to further highlight his success and emphasize his accomplishments.

His decision to post these highlights just one day after he was rendered a healthy scratch likely isn't a coincidence. Neither is his decision to repost the Jets' tweet listing Corley as an inactive on Sunday. It's not difficult to read between the lines here.

The Jets knew that Corley was a work in progress when they drafted him. The self-proclaimed "YAC king" shined at Western Kentucky as a dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands, but he wasn't asked to run a real NFL route tree.

The team's usage of him in the preseason was a strong indication that they didn't believe he was ready for a sizable role in the offense at this time. Almost all of his catches came on manufactured touches.

Still, it wouldn't hurt to give Corley some of those manufactured touches in the regular season. Corley has been targeted just one time through five weeks and has only been on the field for three total snaps (two offensive, one special teams).

Meanwhile, Xavier Gipson has played 67 offensive snaps and is currently ranked as one of the worst wide receivers in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. Why not give some of Gipson's snaps to Corley? Why not find ways to get the ball in Corley's hands?

Malachi Corley doesn't appear to be happy with the Jets, and it's not hard to figure out why. The Jets' offense continues to struggle while the Day 2 wide receiver they believed was one of the best players in this year's draft class rots away on the bench.

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