After he earned a spot on the team’s 53-man roster, it was anticipated that wide receiver Allen Lazard would have a role in the New York Jets’ passing attack to some extent. At the very least, it was expected he would be active for Gang Green’s season opener if healthy.

However, that was not the case.

Lazard was a healthy scratch for the season opener, and head coach Aaron Glenn told reporters Monday the decision was tied to Lazard missing several weeks of training camp as the team works to get him back up to speed.

The wideout signed a four-year, $44 million deal during the same offseason Aaron Rodgers arrived. Two disappointing years later, the relationship looks far different.

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To ease the team’s salary-cap crunch, Lazard accepted a steep reduction in pay this offseason, cutting $8.5 million from his 2025 salary and trimming his cap figure from $13.2 million to $4.6 million.

It is possible the Jets wanted to get through Week 1 before parting ways with Allen Lazard and freeing a roster spot. Their concern may have been that releasing him on cutdown day could have led to a quick signing with the Steelers, where his close ties to Aaron Rodgers and knowledge of New York’s offense might have served as an informant’s edge for Mike Tomlin and Pittsburgh’s defense.

It seems strange for a team to designate an expected starter as a healthy scratch in Week 1 solely because of missed training camp time or the need to get “back up to speed.” Time will tell if the Jets have a plan for Lazard in their offense or if a transaction is in the works.