Jets' veteran knows his job is on the line and is doing everything he can to save it
Allen Lazard’s tenure with the Jets has not gone well. He would admit it. The coaches would admit it. The biggest Lazard fans in the world would admit it. It has been so bad, that despite signing a four year, $44million contract last off season, I have him buried on the depth chart. He was […]
Allen Lazard’s tenure with the Jets has not gone well. He would admit it. The coaches would admit it. The biggest Lazard fans in the world would admit it. It has been so bad, that despite signing a four year, $44million contract last off season, I have him buried on the depth chart.
He was so bad last year that the Jets didn’t even have him dress for three weeks at the end of the season and then went out this offseason and signed Mike Williams to be the team’s number two receiver behind Garrett Wilson. This was after the Jets made attempts to draft Rome Odunze or Malik Nabers in April’s NFL draft.
But everyone loves a comeback story and Lazard has an opportunity to do just that. Lazard acknowledged Monday how difficult his 2023 season was and his role in the debacle. But that was last year.
With the return of Aaron Rodgers, who played with Lazard with the Green Bay Packers and was a decent number one receiver for the team then, Allen looks for a resurgence in his career as he enters year two of his four-year deal.
“I’m not here to prove anyone wrong but just to prove myself right,” Lazard said. “I have high expectations for myself this season and for this team, as well.”
Lazard has an uphill battle to get himself back in the good graces of the Jets but he is getting plenty of opportunities to do that. With Mike Williams still sidelined with the knee injury that caused him to miss all but three game in 2023, Lazard is getting plenty of reps as the number two receiver. Those are going to become scarce once Williams is ready to return to action.
Lazard has made some nice plays so far in training camp as he attempts rebuild his rapport with Rodgers, like this one from Tuesday's practice.
Coach Robert Saleh pointed out that Lazard is participating in special teams this year as a way of praising Lazard for being willing to do that. “He’s the first one up in every single special teams drill, trying to reconnect to that, which is a big deal,” Saleh said. “His head is in the right spot.”
Lazard didn’t quite see it that way, but understands the position he is in. “I walked in, I was on the depth chart there,” Lazard said. “Just by the rule of my contract and stuff and not wanting to be fined, I showed up.”
The harsh reality for Lazard is the Jets and their fans already have replaced on the field and if he wants to dress on Sundays for the games, he may have to do so on punt return. His 2023 campaign was so bad (311 yards and only one touchdown) that he may have dug himself in a hole too deep to climb out of.
“He’s not the first or the last big-money free agent to kind of have a hiccup in his first year,” Saleh said, “trying to adjust to a new scheme, a new environment, a new practice schedule, a new everything. I think he’s doing a great job.”
The bright side for Lazard is Mike Williams isn’t known as a guy who plays every game and there will be opportunities to earn back the trust of the team, the staff and the fans when he gets them. His contract makes it hard to just release him this year. But best of all, Rodgers likely still trusts Lazard from their time together.
Lazard said he wants to “reestablish the value that I bring to this team”. Considering he had almost no value last year, it may not be the best way of putting it, but his opportunity for redemption is there if he is able to seize it.
