Malachi Corley has a plan of what he will do with the football once he reaches the end zone again.
“I’m going to probably hold onto the ball all the way to the sideline and give it to coach [Ulbrich] and let him know that I owed him that one,” the Jets rookie receiver said Wednesday.
Corley was on his way to his first career touchdown last Thursday against the Texans when he dropped the ball in celebration too soon.
Corley had not yet crossed the goal line when he dropped the football and it rolled through the end zone out of bounds, giving the ball to the Texans. The play immediately was added to the blooper reel of embarrassing Jets moments, but Corley said he is not embarrassed.
“It’s not a defining moment for me,” Corley said. “Imagine if I broke three tackles, juked a guy and then I dropped the ball one yard from the end zone. Still, you did that same play but holding the ball for one more yard is not a coaching point for anything. If they give me the ball again, I’ll do the same thing over and over.”
Corley may get another chance quickly.
The Jets traded Mike Williams to the Steelers on Tuesday, which creates a path for Corley to play more.
“I thought he responded well,” interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said of Corley’s mishap. “He went out there and he played a physical, violent brand of football. We’re going to count on him that way especially with [Allen] Lazard [being injured] and Mike being gone now. He’ll assume more reps and he’ll be part of that receiving corps that is in there to block at times.”
The Jets are banged up at guard. Starters Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle) and John Simpson (groin) did not practice on Wednesday. Neither did backup Jake Hanson (hamstring). The Jets could have to start Max Mitchell and rookie Olu Fashanu Sunday against the Cardinals. Fashanu played guard for the first time in his life last Thursday against the Texans.
The other players who did not practice were: RT Morgan Moses (knee), LT Tyron Smith (rest day), DT Solomon Thomas (knee), LB C.J. Mosley (neck) and CB Michael Carter (back). LB Chazz Surratt (heel) and S Ashtyn Davis (concussion) were limited.
QB Aaron Rodgers (knee, hamstring) and S Tony Adams (hamstring) were full participants.
Jets WR Garrett Wilson was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week after he had nine receptions for 90 yards and two one-handed touchdowns against the Texans.