The New York Jets’ season couldn’t be going worse, yet rookie receiver Elijah Moore shines as a bright spot in the Big Apple. In addition to great performances on the field, he is already taking on a special role in the league off the field as well.

Munich – New York Jets fans have not been able to cheer much so far this season.

Apart from regular rubbings by the other teams, the offence around first-round pick Zach Wilson has rarely made an appearance. To make matters worse, the franchise hopeful has been missing for weeks due to injury.

The Jets’ need is now so great that starting quarterback Atlmeister Joe Flacco is holding the last reins together on the offensive side. He can rely almost blindly on one playmaker in particular – rookie receiver Elijah Moore.

Elijah Moore wows the NFL world

The 21-year-old was selected by the Jets early in the second round of this year’s draft. After a little adjustment trouble, the youngster is now one of the fixtures of the Jets offense despite his young age – and is making a name for himself more and more in the NFL.

“He’s going to be something special in this league one day,” said Xavien Howard of the Miami Dolphins. The cornerback faced the speedy Moore several times last weekend in a narrow 24-17 Dolphins win. “He’s a small, fast guy. He caught some gnarly balls today. I respect his game,” Howard said after the game.

Even though the Jets lost in the end, Moore was uncatchable by the Dolphins defense with 141 receiving yards and a touchdown caught. In general, the former Ole Miss star is finding his way into the season better and better. Over the past three games, the rookie has 269 receiving yards and four caught touchdowns.

“He is slowly finding his rhythm,” Head Coach Robert Saleh is still cautious. At the same time, he also sees the great potential that lies dormant in Moore: “He’s going to be a very special kid in this league,” Saleh said.

Rookie takes responsibility early

“The longer I play in this league, the more comfortable I feel, too,” Moore said after the loss. One sentence in particular makes you sit up and take notice: “I don’t really feel like a rookie,” the shooting star said confidently.

Moore’s actions off the field prove that he has already taken on a high status beyond the sporting realm. Fellow receiver A.J. Brown of the Tennessee Titans recently declared that he suffered from severe depression and even considered taking his own life.

As the star receiver explained, Elijah Moore was one of the main reasons Brown was able to overcome depression and is still on a football field today, “God must have whispered the words he said to me back then right in his ear. He is a very special person and I thank him every day for that,” Brown said at the time.

Like Moore, Brown went to college in Mississippi, where a close bond developed between the two: “He’s like a brother to me. I love him for that, too,” the Titans star concluded.

The two are also inseparable when it comes to sports. Before the season, Brown helped the Jets rookie in some joint training sessions to be able to directly call up his potential at the NFL level. In doing so, he could soon play an even bigger role for the Jets.

Wilson and Moore as the future of the franchise

Although things haven’t quite clicked yet between Moore and quarterback Wilson, both play a big role in the future of the franchise in New York. If they can find a common denominator for their enormous individual qualities, Jets fans could be cheering for many more victories in the years to come.

The attitude at least seems to fit already: “We didn’t win, so it wasn’t good enough,” Moore classified his monster performance against the Dolphins: “I ran free and caught the ball. That’s all it was,” he was extremely modest.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about being there in the crucial moments. All we have to do is finish the game as well,” Moore concluded. The youngster’s hunger for success seems to have made an impression in Kabine as well.

“They’re very good players with a terrific attitude,” backup quarterback Flacco said of the two young stars. “The next step for the guys has to be to keep getting more wins so they become even more confident,” the former Super Bowl MVP said.

The terrific performances coupled with his passion have finally catapulted him onto the radar of several defensive coordinators in the league. If he can maintain this level, it should only be a matter of time before Moore and Co. experience better days with the Jets. He’s just a special rookie.