Jets waive former third round pick WR Malachi Corley

Antwan Staley, New York Daily News on Aug 26, 2025

Published in Football

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NEW YORK — A year after being drafted by the Jets, wide receiver Malachi Corley is now looking for a new team.

After they traded up to select him 65th overall in the 2024 NFL draft, the Jets waived Corley on Tuesday morning, a source confirmed to the New York Daily News.

Dubbed the YAC king at Western Kentucky because of his ability to generate yards after the catch, Corley, 23, failed to make an impact with the Jets. His most well-known play came last Halloween night against the Texans.

On his first NFL carry, Corley crossed the goal line for a touchdown. However, he prematurely released the ball before crossing the plane of the end zone and the officials called the play a touchback instead after the ball rolled out of bounds.

The Jets still defeated the Texans, but Corley’s career never recovered. He played just nine games for the Jets, recording three catches for 16 yards. Corley was a healthy scratch in five games because he lacked experience on special teams.

It also didn’t help that the regime that selected Corley is no longer with the team. Former general manager Joe Douglas traded a third and a fifth-round pick to move up to the top of the third round to select Corley. Following the draft, a text message on social media surfaced from former Jets coach Robert Saleh to Douglas, which read, “No Matter What,” a reference to the movie “Draft Day.”

Both Douglas and Saleh were fired amid the Jets’ 5-12 season.

With a new coaching staff in place under head coach Aaron Glenn and a new general manager in Darren Mougey, there was optimism that Corley could revive his career. But an undisclosed injury during the spring left him behind trying to learn offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand’s new offense. Corley’s maturity was also a point of concern among some people within the Jets organization.

During the preseason, Corley didn’t receive a lot of playing time and was buried on the depth chart. He mostly worked with the third-team offense and on special teams throughout training camp. He recorded just one catch in three preseason games.