Elijah Moore Cut by Bills Amuses Fans of the New York Jets

The Buffalo Bills’ decision to release wide receiver Elijah Moore ahead of the 2028 NFL regular season has sparked an unexpected wave of amusement among fans of the New York Jets—Moore’s former team and the Bills’ longstanding AFC East rivals. Moore, who spent his first two NFL seasons with the Jets (2021-2022) before being traded to the Browns and later signing with the Bills in free agency, has long been a polarizing figure for Jets fans: admired for his flashes of talent (like his 722-yard rookie season) but criticized for inconsistent production and a public request for a trade in 2022. His short-lived stint with the Bills—just one season, during which he caught 35 passes for 410 yards—ended abruptly when Buffalo waived him to make room for a rookie draft pick, a move that quickly became a punchline in Jets fan circles. Elijah Moore Cut by Bills Amuses Fans of the New York Jets explores the reasons behind the fans’ lighthearted reaction, the history between Moore and the Jets, and how the move fuels the ongoing rivalry between New York and Buffalo.

At the core of Jets fans’ amusement is Moore’s rocky history with the Jets and the irony of his quick exit from their biggest rival. When Moore was drafted by the Jets in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, he was hailed as a potential playmaker for a struggling offense, and his early success (6 touchdowns as a rookie) raised hopes. But tensions emerged in 2022, when Moore grew frustrated with his role in the offense, publicly asked for a trade, and was benched for one game by then-head coach Robert Saleh. Jets fans, already weary of player drama, viewed Moore’s trade request as a lack of commitment to the team’s rebuild—a sentiment that lingered even after he left for Cleveland. Now, with Moore being cut by the Bills— a team the Jets have spent years trying to overtake in the AFC East—fans see his struggles as a form of “karma” for his earlier departure. “Remember when Moore said he needed to leave the Jets to win? Look where he is now—out of a job, cut by the Bills,” tweeted @JetsFanInQueens, a popular fan account with over 50,000 followers. “This writes itself.” Elijah Moore Cut by Bills Amuses Fans of the New York Jets frames this history as the foundation of fans’ playful schadenfreude.

The amusement among Jets fans has also been amplified by social media, where memes and jokes about Moore’s release have gone viral. Within hours of the Bills’ announcement, Jets fan groups on Facebook and Reddit were flooded with posts mocking Moore’s short tenure in Buffalo. One popular meme featured a photo of Moore in a Bills jersey with the caption: “Jets: ‘We don’t want you.’ Bills: ‘Hold my beer.’” Another video edit, shared over 10,000 times on TikTok, compiled clips of Moore’s dropped passes as a Bill alongside audio of Jets fans cheering. Even local sports radio hosts joined in: “Elijah Moore went from wanting out of the Jets to being out of the Bills—maybe the problem isn’t the teams?” joked Craig Carton, co-host of WFAN’s “Carton & Roberts,” a show with a large Jets fan base. The humor isn’t mean-spirited, fans say—it’s a way to celebrate a small win in a rivalry that has often favored the Bills in recent years. “We don’t hate Moore, but c’mon—this is too funny to ignore,” said Mike Torres, a Jets season-ticket holder since 2015. “The Bills act like they’re the class of the division, and they can’t even hold onto a guy who wanted to play for a winner.” Elijah Moore Cut by Bills Amuses Fans of the New York Jets explores how social media has turned a routine roster move into a rivalry talking point.

For the New York Jets, Moore’s release by the Bills also carries subtle bragging rights in the AFC East, a division where the Jets have finished last or second-to-last in seven of the past 10 seasons. While the Jets aren’t directly involved in Moore’s departure, fans see it as evidence that the Bills—who have won the AFC East four times in the past five years—aren’t as stable as they appear. “If the Bills are cutting a guy they signed just a year ago, that means their roster isn’t as good as they think,” said Sarah Lopez, a member of the Jets’ official fan club. “Meanwhile, our team is building something real with [quarterback] Aaron Rodgers and our young core. This just shows the tide might be turning.” The Jets’ front office hasn’t commented on Moore’s release, but the team’s social media accounts indirectly fueled the excitement by sharing a clip of Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson’s 2027 touchdown against the Bills— a post that received over 200,000 likes and comments like “Wilson > Moore, always.” For the New York Jets, even small moments of rivalry humor help keep fans engaged during a rebuild that has tested their patience. Elijah Moore Cut by Bills Amuses Fans of the New York Jets highlights how Moore’s release has become a symbolic win for Jets fans eager to see their team compete with the Bills.

Another layer of the amusement is Moore’s own comments about the Jets and Bills in the past, which have come back to haunt him. In 2022, when Moore requested a trade from the Jets, he told reporters, “I want to be in a place where I can win and contribute to a winning culture.” When he signed with the Bills in 2027, he doubled down: “Buffalo is a winning organization—this is where I need to be.” Now, those quotes are being shared widely by Jets fans, who are mocking the irony of his situation. “Winning culture, huh? Last time I checked, the Bills just cut you,” tweeted @JetsNationDaily, a fan account with over 100,000 followers. Moore hasn’t responded to the jokes, but his agent released a statement saying Moore is “looking forward to the next opportunity” in the NFL. For the New York Jets, the contrast between Moore’s past comments and current situation is too stark for fans to ignore. “He talked so much about wanting to win, and now he’s unemployed while the Jets are getting better,” said Torres. “It’s like he picked the wrong horse in the AFC East.” Elijah Moore Cut by Bills Amuses Fans of the New York Jets examines how Moore’s own words have amplified the fan reaction.

While the amusement will likely fade as the NFL season progresses, Moore’s release by the Bills has given New York Jets fans a rare moment of levity in a rivalry that has often been lopsided. For years, Jets fans have watched the Bills dominate the division, make deep playoff runs, and sign high-profile players—while their own team struggled with injuries, coaching changes, and quarterback instability. This small, unexpected event— the cut of a former Jet by a rival—has provided a chance to laugh, bond, and feel optimistic about their team’s future. “We don’t get a lot of wins against the Bills, so we’ll take what we can get,” said Lopez. “This is just a fun way to remind everyone that the AFC East isn’t just the Bills’ division anymore.” As for Moore, Jets fans say they wish him well—just not with any other AFC East teams. “If he signs with the Patriots or Dolphins, we’ll boo him,” Torres joked. “But for now, we’re just enjoying the moment.” Elijah Moore Cut by Bills Amuses Fans of the New York Jets concludes by noting that in rivalries as intense as Jets-Bills, it’s often the small, unplanned moments that resonate most—giving fans a reason to cheer even when their team isn’t on the field.