Another one of Aaron Rodgers’ pals is getting ready for a likely departure from the New York Jets, as veteran wide receiver Allen Lazard was granted permission to seek a trade, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old is the final piece of the old Green Bay Packers triumvirate who got the band back together in New York, as he followed Rodgers to the Jets and was later joined by Davante Adams.
Rodgers was told last month by new general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn that he will not be brought back for the 2025 season, while Adams was officially released by the Jets on Tuesday.
Lazard signed a four-year, $44 million deal with the team in 2023, capitalizing off a 2022 campaign in which he developed into Rodgers’ favorite target with the Packers, hauling in 60 receptions on 100 targets for 788 yards and six touchdowns.
He caught just 23 passes for 311 yards and one score in his first year in New York, which spent all but four snaps without Rodgers under center after he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the season opener. In 2024, with a healthy Rodgers, he posted 530 yards on 37 catches with six touchdowns.
If Lazard and the Jets cannot find a trade partner, the organization is willing to bring him back for the 2025 season, per Schefter. Who he’ll be catching passes from, however, is a mystery. Gang Green has the No. 7 pick at the NFL Draft and could bring in a young prospect, or they can delve into the trade or free agency market for Rodgers’ replacement.
