Cleveland Browns backup wide receiver Malachi Corley was jettisoned from the New York Jets so fast, his head spun, as he went from the first pick of the third round in the 2024 NFL Draft to off the roster in 2025.
Stories like the one revealed by Los Angeles Rams star Davante Adams might be part of the reason why.
In an appearance on the "Bussin With The Boys" podcast, Adams, who has famously worn No. 17 throughout his pro career, said he wanted to reclaim his old number when he was traded to the Jets. Corley reportedly wouldn't fork over the number unless Adams paid the ridiculous sum of $1 million for it.
Adams would eventually go over Corley's head to owner Woody Johnson, who facilitated Adams getting No. 17 and Corley switching to No. 14. Asking for some cash in exchange for a number swap is nothing new in the NFL, but Corley putting a seven-figure ask in front of Adams came across as extremely tone-deaf.
Cleveland Browns WR Malachi Corley wanted $1 million from Davante Adams for No. 17
The fact that Corley has more career rushing attempts than receptions as a wide receiver should be a sign that things aren't going too smoothly for him in the NFL. Corley's maturity concerns are part of the reason Cleveland was even able to snatch him up, as he reportedly refused to play on special teams after the Jets drafted him.
Corley had just five touches from scrimmage for 42 yards as a rookie with the Jets, one of which would have been his first NFL touchdown. However, he dropped the ball at the goal line on primetime television, and Aaron Glenn was more than willing to let the Browns assume the burden of fixing him.
Corley, who amassed 127 rushing yards and 79 receiving yards with the Browns last season, faces long odds when it comes to making the 53-man roster. With Cleveland using two top-40 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft on receivers in KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, and having signed a Todd Monken favorite from his Baltimore days in Tylan Wallace, Corley is hanging on by a thread.
A little humility can go a long way in the NFL, especially when you're an unproven rookie trying to make a statement against a future Hall of Famer. Corley may have learned his lesson, but he might find himself buried on the Browns' depth chart to the point where he likely won't make an impact in 2026.
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