Jets strike creative deal to surprisingly retain offensive weapon in 2025, but signs still point to exit happening sooner than projected
After all, Allen Lazard will remain on the New York Jets in 2025. According to Jason Fitzgerald from Over the Cap, the Jets agreed to a revised deal with the wide receiver, reducing both his salary and his cap hit this upcoming season.However, Lazard is now slated to be a free agent after this year. […]
After all, Allen Lazard will remain on the New York Jets in 2025. According to Jason Fitzgerald from Over the Cap, the Jets agreed to a revised deal with the wide receiver, reducing both his salary and his cap hit this upcoming season.
However, Lazard is now slated to be a free agent after this year. As the initial contract was signed through 2026, the receiver won't be eligible for the compensatory pick formula if he signs elsewhere next offseason.
What the contract will look like
Allen Lazard was slated to make $11 million in each of his final two years on the Jets. He agreed to take a significant paycut, reducing his salary all the way down to $2.5 million, $1.75 million of which is guaranteed.
With that move, his cap hit drops from $13.2 million to $4.6 million, $8.6 million in cap savings for the Jets. There will be $4.368 million in dead money when his contract expires due to prorations already paid.
Now, the Jets have $27.557 million in available cap space. Of this amount, $6,966 million is the space projectedly required to sign the rookie class based on the draft picks the Jets have at this moment.
Track record
The Jets signed Allen Lazard to a four-year, $44 million contract back in 2023 as part of their route to acquire quarterback Aaron Rodgers. In two seasons in New York, the receiver totaled 53 receptions for 723 yards and six touchdowns. That's not useless for sure, but also not what the Jets expected when they acquired him in free agency.
With Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams gone this offseason, and the people who signed him fired during last year, the expectation was that Lazard would be traded or released as well, and that the Jets were just waiting for June 2nd to execute the move.
Lazard was even allowed to seek a trade. However, no type of market materialized for him, so he decided to return to the Jets on a cheaper deal.
Originally undrafted in 2018, Allen Lazard is 29 years old. Signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars, he spent most of his rookie season on the practice squad in Jacksonville before being signed off of it by the Green Bay Packers. Lazard played the final month of the 2018 season and four more years in Green Bay before signing with the Jets two years ago.
