Frustrated Elijah Moore back practicing with Jets

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Elijah Moore was back practicing with the Jets on Wednesday after a tumultuous, drama-filled week in which the second-year receiver asked for a trade.

Moore has been upset with his lack of involvement in the offense. Robert Saleh said he’s had conversations with Moore and believes he’s committed to the Jets. Later, however, Saleh didn’t have an answer when he was asked if Moore still wants to be traded.

“I don’t know,” Saleh said. “I didn’t ask him.”

Moore declined to speak to reporters in the locker room after practice.

The Jets have no intention of dealing Moore before Tuesday’s trade deadline. The wide receiver<NO1> Moore<NO> is expected to be active for Sunday’s game when the AFC East rival Patriots visit MetLife Stadium. He didn’t travel to Denver for the Jets’ previous game.

This episode all started when Moore wasn’t targeted in the Jets’ win in Green Bay two games ago. It led to Moore expressing confusion on social media as to why he wasn’t a part of the offense.

Those tweets were deleted, but the frustration didn’t lessen for Moore, who was a playmaker for the Jets as a rookie

Things came to a head last Thursday when Moore had an outburst that was directed at offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. Saleh sent Moore home from practice.

He posted some more since-deleted tweets Thursday and requested a trade later that day. Saleh held Moore out of Friday’s practice and didn’t allow him to go to Denver, where the Jets won their fourth straight game to improve to 5-2.

Moore worked out with members of the conditioning staff when he wasn’t practicing or with the team on the road. Saleh was talking to Moore while he was stretching and warming up on Wednesday.

Moore and LaFleur shared a handshake and hug. “He’s a competitor and he wants to help any way possible,” LaFleur said last week.

“We’ve had talks,” Saleh said. “He’s good. We’re all good. He’s going to go out and do what he does, see if we can get him the ball and make a few plays.”

There should be targets for Moore against New England.

The Jets lost rookie running back Breece Hall, who has been their most productive offensive player, for the season with a torn ACL. They also could be without receiver Corey Davis. He left Sunday’s game with a knee injury and didn’t practice on Wednesday. Davis is considered day-to-day.

Moore was taken in the second round last year. He can be used a variety of ways, which is what makes it surprising that he hasn’t been targeted more or utilized in jet sweeps.

Moore led the Jets last year in receiving yards and total touchdowns — five receiving and one rushing.

This season, after being targeted 21 times in the first three games, he was thrown to only eight times in the next three. Moore caught one pass for 11 yards in his last two games.

“Was there frustration? Is there frustration?” Saleh said. “There probably still is in terms of what he wants his role to be from a ball production standpoint.”

Saleh has talked about the importance of having selfless players who put the team before themselves. Yet he continues to show support for Moore. Saleh was asked if Moore is 100% committed to the Jets.

“Yeah, he is,” Saleh said. “It’s hard to explain. He’s been fine . . . He’s not quitting on anybody. He’s not out there dogging it. He’s not sitting on his helmet. He’s not skipping and holding out or faking injuries. He’s not doing any of that.

“He just wants to contribute. So the question of whether he’s locked in at meetings, doing what he needs to do in practice — that’s a non-question. He’s going to be fine.”

Saleh said he expects Moore to continue to work hard and have the same attitude before last week’s outburst.

“He works his butt off,” Saleh said. “He plays his butt off. He’s always trying to do good. Last week happened. I don’t think it’s going to change his approach in terms of how hard he plays this game. He loves it.”

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.