New York Giants offensive coordinator Tim Kelly offered a candid assessment of third-year wide receiver Jalin Hyatt’s ongoing challenges during his Thursday press conference, highlighting a persistent gap between practice performance and Sunday production.
When pressed on why Hyatt, despite apparently meeting expectations in practice to earn snaps, fails to translate that success to games, Kelly responded bluntly.
“Yeah, I wish I had that answer,” he told reporters. “If I had that answer for you, I don’t think we’d be having this conversation.”
Kelly had earlier contextualized Hyatt’s difficult role as a fourth or fifth receiver, requiring versatility across positions.
“That role is a tough role for everybody in the league,” he said. “You’ve got to be the guy who kind of knows everything… The preparation in the meetings, the preparation throughout practice is really what helps build the trust and the confidence.”
Kelly acknowledged recurring issues.
“It’s been unfortunate that there’s been some communication issues and he’s kind of been right there in the center of them,” he said.
Notably, these miscommunications contributed to rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart’s late first-half interception in the team’s Week 15 game, with the error stemming from Hyatt rather than the young QB — an implication Kelly appeared to reinforce by repeatedly centering the receiver in such breakdowns.
Yet Kelly praised Hyatt’s effort.
“Jalin’s coming in every day, and he’s out here working early with Russ [Wilson]. He’s doing a good job in the meetings, trying to make sure that we’re alleviating those issues and really trying to gain that trust,” he said.
The admission underscores a frustrating season for the 2023 third-round pick, whose speed remains tantalizing but whose limited role and execution errors have stalled his development behind an injury-depleted receiving corps.