The very moment that Aaron Rodgers agreed to terms on a free agent deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, all eyes turned back to the New York Jets.
Not because Rodgers was New York’s former quarterback, no. That was already a bitter breakup. New York was put in the spotlight because of who they still have on the roster.
Allen Lazard has had quite the career for an undrafted free agent out of Iowa State. His most productive years, though, have come with the four-time NFL MVP throwing him the ball.
After two lackluster seasons in New York, many analysts and fans have drawn a worthy conclusion that the Jets will soon trade Lazard to Pittsburgh for one last reunion with Rodgers.
That may not be the case, though.
Jets Have Allen Lazard Quandary
Let’s get the obvious out of the way.
Of course, it would make sense for Pittsburgh to try to acquire Lazard. They have a young receiving core outside of DK Metcalf, and would want someone who is already comfortable playing with Rodgers.
New York, meanwhile, restructured Lazard’s contract, making him far easier to trade. The 29-year-old accepted an $8.5 million pay cut, dropping his 2025 cap hit from $13.2 million to $4.6 million this offseason.
Moving away from Lazard will be far easier from a monetary perspective.
It wouldn’t cost either team much. The Steelers know the Jets wouldn’t ask for much from a Lazard deal, especially with his recurring issue of being unable to consistently catch the football.
A late-round pick swap may be all that it takes.
New York has already said multiple times they want to let the younger players on their roster perform – another reason for a potential move to be made.
It makes sense from a number of different avenues. But that doesn’t mean a deal gets done soon.
Why A Trade Won’t Happen…Yet
Just because Pittsburgh has been checking in on available pass catchers, it does not mean Lazard is the intended target for the organization.
Remember, the organization still has Roman Wilson and Calvin Austin III, two young receivers whom the team recently drafted. Both players are prospects that the Steelers want to use more in 2025.
Lazard would take away from that goal.
On the Jets’ side, it is also quite simple as to why Lazard is more likely to stay.
“Anytime you have a player of that magnitude… he’s a really good blocker,” Glenn said of Lazard before a restructured contract agreement came out this offseason. “I played against him when he was in Green Bay. Hopefully something can work out.”
New York is not going to throw the ball 40 times a game this season. They want to be a run-first team that picks its spots well in the passing attack.
That means their receivers need to be physical and capable of blocking downfield.
“We want to play fast, right?” Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand said. “We want to be physical. We want to be aggressive. We want to be explosive. We want to be detailed. We want that to show up on tape each and every week when somebody looks at our tape.
“And that’s what we’re going to shoot for.”
Lazard’s route-running and catching ability are major problems for the Jets. There’s no point in denying that. But he is a physical receiver and a very good run blocker.
In many ways, he fits exactly what a WR2 or WR3 will look like in the Jets offense with Justin Fields leading the way.
Now, if the Jets are out of playoff contention and the Steelers are trying to go all-in, or an injury is sustained by one of Pittsburgh’s young receivers, that could certainly change some things.
As things currently stand, though, it’s unlikely that a deal will get done at this point.
