The wide receiver was disappointed when Chad Pennington was released to make room for Brett Favre, and Coles granted no interviews until after the season opener at Miami.

"I didn't think there was any need for me to say anything that could cause any more disruptions," Coles said Thursday.

Coles and Pennington were drafted by the Jets in 2000 and immediately struck up a friendship.

"We had it the day we walked through the doors," Coles said.

Coles had some of his best seasons with Pennington throwing him the ball, including 2006, when he caught a career-high 91 passes for 1,098 yards and six touchdowns.

"To be honest, I would never expect to have the same relationship with anybody that I had with him," Coles said. "That's one of the things we had, we had special chemistry. We never sat and watched film and never really did a lot of things together. We just knew."

With Pennington now starting for the Dolphins - "He's happy. I can tell you that much" - Coles has been trying to build a rapport with Favre. Injuries, which also plagued him last season, have so far sabotaged those plans. Coles missed the entire preseason with a thigh injury and has been limited in practice because of it.

Still, he caught Favre's first pass against the Dolphins, a 5-yard toss. But Coles had no other receptions.

"I don't have a feel for him and he doesn't have a feel for me," Coles said. "That's one of the things I am going to have to deal with. In the past, I always knew when the ball was coming. Now, you don't really know. It's totally different for me as a player. It is what it is. He's getting adjusted and I'm trying to do what I'm supposed to do."

Coles hasn't talked with Jerricho Cotchery to get a better feel for how Favre operates.

"He does what he does and hopefully you're in his read," he said, "and that's pretty much all you can do at this point."

Coach Eric Mangini isn't worried that Coles' personal feelings for Pennington will affect him negatively on the field.

"L.C. is a total pro," Mangini said. "He's focused on one thing. He's been great. He's really been great. He's tough physically and mentally. All he's worried about is doing as well as he can, helping us win."

While Coles sat during the preseason, Favre developed an immediate chemistry with Cotchery and Chansi Stuckey. That was put on display against the Dolphins when Favre threw a perfect spiral down the left sideline to Cotchery for a 56-yard touchdown.

"Whether he has success with me, has success with Jerricho, has success with Stuckey or whoever it is, as long as the team is successful, then we'll be all right," Coles said.

The Jets are hoping so, because they'll need Coles to combine with Cotchery to give Favre two veteran targets to throw to on a consistent basis. Coles and Favre have lockers next to each other at the Jets' new training facility, and have been seen kidding around with each other and laughing.

"It doesn't have anything to do with my rapport with him," Coles said. "I'm trying to pick up some of the offense right now. Of course, some things have changed and we're trying to get a better understanding of what's going on with the wording in the offense."

It's been a difficult stretch for Coles, who had a streak of playing in 107 straight games end last November because of a concussion sustained against Buffalo. After missing a game, Coles returned only to suffer a high left ankle sprain against Pittsburgh.

He missed New York's loss at Dallas four days later on Thanksgiving, but came back for the Jets' next game at Miami. Coles caught seven passes the following week against Cleveland, but lasted just one play at New England after aggravating the ankle the day before in a bizarre incident at the team hotel when the trainer's table fell on it while he was getting treatment.

He was then placed on injured reserve, finishing the season with 55 catches for 646 yards and six TDs. The totals were his lowest since his rookie year.

Coles came into camp healthy, but soon was forced back to the sideline with the thigh injury. Then, his friend was released, and one of the most accessible players on the team last year went into his shell.

"We have a good relationship and we always have," Pennington said last week. "I've been able to talk to him while it was happening and even after. We've always had good conversations and I'm one of his biggest fans. He's an emotional being. That's what makes him really good, because he has a lot of passion for not only what he does, but for who he plays with. He'll be fine."