Watch: New York Jets Rookie Make Boneheaded Mistake Trying to Score

The New York Jets had their first touchdown run against Houston in the bag until a rookie failed to finish the job.

Sep 15, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Malachi Corley (17) during pregame warmups against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The New York Jets started the second quarter of Thursday's game against the Houston Texans with their most creative play of the game.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers took the snap under center and handed the football to rookie wide receiver Malachi Corley, who went around the right side and had plenty of field to operate as he ran toward the goal line for what would have been an 10-yard touchdown run.

Unfortunately, Corley didn't finish the job. As he prepared to cross the goal line he dropped the football.

He thought he had crossed the goal line. Instead, he not only missed out on his first NFL touchdown but he encapsulated New York’s awful season to this point.

What we thought was a Jets TD... is a touchback! Houston ball 😳#HOUvsNYJ on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/D3liGAROrt

— NFL (@NFL) November 1, 2024

Because Corley dropped the football before the goal line and because the football rolled out of bounds, the Houston Texans got the football at their own 20-yard-line.

Corley’s mistake cost the Jets an easy chance to take a 7-0 lead.

The Jets selected Corley in this April’s draft and the hope was that he would be able to make an immediate impact after a stellar career at Western Kentucky, which included a redshirt sophomore season in which he caught 101 passes for 1,295 yards and 11 touchdowns.

But he's had trouble getting on the field all season. He's been active the past two weeks because the Jets have been without veteran wide receiver Allen Lazard. The Jets had to put Lazard on injured reserve earlier Thursday with a chest injury, a move that will keep him off the field for the next several weeks.

That should, theoretically, open up more playing time for correlate. But after his mistake on Thursday, he may have a hard time finding the field.

Before the game the Jets made a number of moves to get their roster ready for the game. Along with moving Lazard to IR, the Jets did the same with defensive tackle Leki Fotu, who suffered a knee injury just a week after returning from IR.

The Jets signed offensive lineman Alec Lindstrom and placekicker Riley Patterson to the active roster. Patterson will kick for the Jets on Thursday with the injury to veteran Greg Zuerlein.

To make room for Yeboah from IR New York released tight end Anthony Firkser.

The Jets elevated defensive backs Kendall Sheffield and Jarius Monroe from the practice squad for the game and signed defensive end Takk McKinley to the practice squad. McKinley was released by New York when they activated Haason Reddick last Saturday.

New York set the following players inactive for the game — safety Tony Adams (hamstring), safety Ashtyn Davis (concussion), guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle), linebacker C.J. Mosley (neck), offensive tackle Carter Warren, running back Israel Abanikanda and cornerback Quan’tez Stiggers.