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Allen Lazard

Jets, WR Allen Lazard Agree To Restructure

April 10th, 2025 at 8:54am CST by Adam La Rose

Allen Lazard‘s time with the Jets seemed to be coming to an end earlier this offseason. Not long after granting the veteran receiver permission to seek a trade, however, it became clear New York would attempt to keep Lazard in the fold via a restructure.

That effort has now produced an agreement. Team and player have a new arrangement in place, Over the Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald reports. Originally scheduled to earn $11MM this year, Lazard will take an $8.5MM pay cut for 2025. $1.75MM of his new base salary is guaranteed, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds $2.5MM in incentives are in place to allow him to earn back some of his previously-owed compensation. The 29-year-old’s cap charge will drop to $4.6MM for this season.

Notably, today’s new deal also sets Lazard up for free agency after the 2025 campaign. The former UDFA originally had two years left on his pact, but he will now hit the open market next spring. Lazard’s debut Jets campaign fell well short of expectations, but he rebounded to an extent in 2024 with 530 yards and six touchdowns on 37 catches. Former Packers teammate Aaron Rodgers is no longer New York’s quarterback, but Lazard will have a role on offense as Justin Fields takes on starting duties.

The Jets’ midseason Davante Adams acquisition did not spark a run to the postseason, and as expected the All-Pro was released last month. That move leaves Garrett Wilson in line to serve as the focal point of the team’s passing attack, and he represents one of New York’s top extension candidates. Free agent addition Josh Reynolds and 2024 third-rounder Malachi Corley will be joined by Lazard in 2025 as secondary receiving options.

Once the latter’s contract voids, his 2026 cap charge will be $4.37MM. A departure next spring would still come as no surprise given the new Jets regime which is in place, but Lazard will have one more year in the Big Apple to help his free agent value.

Jets Aim To Keep WR Allen Lazard

March 30th, 2025 at 4:52pm CST by Adam La Rose

With Aaron Rodgers no longer on the Jets, wideout Davante Adams is understandably out of the organization as well. Many have expected New York to also move on from fellow ex-Packer Allen Lazard, but he could remain in place for 2025.

New Jets general manager Darren Mougey said on Sunday (via Brian Costello of the New York Post) the team hopes to keep Lazard on the roster. A report from last month indicated a release could be expected, and the same was recently repeated in the wake of the Josh Reynolds signing. As Costello notes, though, efforts to restructure Lazard’s pact are ongoing.

The 29-year-old joined the Jets on a lucrative deal in 2023, a move which was followed by the Rodgers trade. Lazard faced high expectations given the $11MM annual average value of his deal, but things did not go according to plan and he recorded 23 catches and one touchdown. A healthy season from Rodgers helped produce a better output in 2024 (60-530-6 statline), although a parting of ways would still not come as a surprise. Lazard received permission to seek a trade not long before free agency began, but obviously no takers emerged.

Mougey’s remarks suggest the Jets could still be willing to move on from the former UDFA, but working out a pay cut arrangement would allow him to remain in the fold. As things currently stand, Lazard is owed $11MM next season with a scheduled cap hit of $13.18MM. The same setup exists for 2026, the final year of the Iowa State product’s deal. A trade or release would yield roughly equal cap savings and dead money charges, but a post-June 1 designation would generate $11MM in savings while incurring a dead cap charge of $2.18MM.

Without Adams in place, moving on from Lazard would leave the Jets short on experienced receivers (although that vacancy was addressed to an extent with the Reynolds deal). Garrett Wilson is set to once again operate as the focal point of New York’s passing attack – something which was not always the case during Adams’ brief stint with the team – in 2025. Reynolds will serve in a complementary capacity, and 2024 third-rounder Malachi Corley could as well.

If Lazard accepts a pay cut, he will be in position to continue as a regular on offense (having handled an 84% snap share in 2024). Failing that, the possibility of a release will loom as the countdown to the draft continues.

Jets To Sign WR Josh Reynolds

March 27th, 2025 at 1:10pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Jets are signing veteran wide receiver Josh Reynolds to a one-year deal worth up to $5MM, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The deal includes $2.75MM in fully guaranteed money with another $2.25MM available via incentives, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

The Jets’ new regime is very familiar with Reynolds. General manager Darren Mougey helped bring Reynolds to Denver during free agency last year when he was the Broncos’ assistant GM. Reynolds spent the previous 2.5 seasons in Detroit, where he worked closely with then-Lions passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand. Engstrand is now the Jets’ offensive coordinator under new head coach Aaron Glenn, who also overlapped with Reynolds in Detroit.

After releasing Davante Adams and letting Tyler Conklin walk in free agency, the Jets needed to add an experienced pass-catcher to their offense. The team is expected to release Allen Lazard after June 1, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, and the rest of their wideouts outside of Garrett Wilson have combined for 12 career starts.

Reynolds fits the bill with 55 starts across eight years, plus an understanding of what Engstrand wants to do on offense. Two of the best seasons of Reynold’s career came in Detroit in 2022 and 2023 before a hand injury hampered him in 2024. Finding a similar role in New York may help the 30-year-old build on the success he found the last time he played under Engstrand.

The 6-foot-3 wideout has spent most of his time on the outside, though he also has plenty of experience lining up in the slot. He is also known as a strong run blocker, another plus for a Jets offense that figures to take a run-heavy approach with their young backfield of Justin Fields, Breece Hall, and Braelon Allen.

Since Reynolds was released by the Jaguars earlier this month, his signing will not count towards the compensatory pick formula (if his APY even qualified).

Jets Grant WR Allen Lazard Permission To Seek Trade

March 4th, 2025 at 10:24am CST by Adam La Rose

As the Jets sort out their plans at the receiver position, movement will likely be coming soon. Davante Adams is on the trade block, although his contract leaves as release as the likelier outcome.

That would come as no surprise given the team’s commitment to moving on from Aaron Rodgers. His arrival in 2023 brought with it several acquisitions rooted in duplicating his success with the Packers. That included trading for Adams before his past season’s deadline, but also the free agent signing of Allen Lazard the previous spring. The latter is now in line to be on the move.

Lazard’s camp has received permission to seek a trade, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The 29-year-old is due $11MM in 2025 with a scheduled cap hit of $13.18MM. None of his base salary is guaranteed, however, something which would make a release a logical outcome. A report from last month indicated the Jets can be expected to cut Lazard, but like any number of teams facing a similar situation they will at least explore a deal which would yield draft compensation.

Schefter notes New York is open to keeping the former UDFA in the fold, but cutting him would yield $6.63MM in cap savings while incurring a dead money charge of $6.55MM. Especially with a new regime in place compared to the one which brought in Lazard, starting over would be a feasible approach. Expectations were high upon arrival for the seven-year veteran after his final Green Bay campaign produced a new career high in receptions (60) and yards (788). Lazard inked a four-year, $44MM deal to join the Jets.

Things did not go according to plan during his debut New York season, though. Rodgers’ Week 1 Achilles tear left the Jets without their starter under center, and Lazard posted only a 23-311-1 statline. The Iowa State alum’s production rebounded to an extent in 2024, including six touchdowns (matching the second-highest total of his career) but the team could look for other options to complement Garrett Wilson moving forward.

With Tee Higgins off the market, the 2025 free agent class does not boast a high number of available wideouts. Compared to recent years, meanwhile, the incoming group of rookies is not held in high regard regarding first-round options. Movement on the trade front can be expected at the receiver position as a result, and Lazard could be the next name included in a swap. Even if that is not the case, his Jets future is certainly undecided.

Jets Likely To Release Allen Lazard; Garrett Wilson’s Future Less In Doubt?

February 16th, 2025 at 10:14pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jets are officially set to part ways with Aaron Rodgers. To little surprise, that decision is expected to also include the departure of wideout Davante Adams after his brief Rodgers reunion at the end of the 2024 campaign.

Acquiring Adams was one of many moves the Jets made aimed at providing Rodgers with former Packers teammates; one of the others was the free agent addition of Allen Lazard. That four-year, $44MM investment did not pay of as expected, and the decision to release Rodgers could very well see Lazard cut as well. ESPN’s Rich Cimini writes Lazard (along with Adams) will “probably” be released in the near future.

Such a move from the new regime of general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn would not come as a surprise. Lazard came to New York with high expectations after his final Packers campaign saw him post career-highs in receptions (60) and yards (788). In 2023, though, the 29-year-old’s production saw a steep decline. A full season from Rodgers this past year brought about a return to an extent of Lazard’s impact (including six receiving touchdowns), but on the whole his tenure has not gone as planned.

Lazard is owed a non-guaranteed base salary of $11MM in 2025 and ’26; releasing him before June 1 would essentially create an even split between cap savings and dead money. Taking the post-June 1 route – as the team will likely do in Rodgers’ case -would give the Jets $11MM in savings against a small dead cap charge, but those funds would not be freed up until June 2. Parting ways with Adams and Lazard would leave receiver as a position of focus this offseason, but Garrett Wilson‘s future with the organization may become less of a talking point moving forward.

The latter was connected to a potential trade request late in the season, with perceived tension with Rodgers and competition for targets from Adams seen as key reasons. With Wilson set to no longer have Rodgers as a teammate or (presumably) Adams vying for the top spot on the WR depth chart, though, Cimini notes that Wilson is likely to be more amenable to making a long-term Jets commitment. The 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year is eligible for an extension for the first time this offseason, and his production given the level of quarterback play New York has had over his three-year career could put him line for a major raise.

Wilson, 24, has topped 1,000 yards in each of his Jets campaigns. He will be expected to remain a focal point of New York’s passing attack through at least 2026, since the team will no doubt exercise his $16.63MM fifth-year option this spring provided no trade request emerges over the coming weeks. A long-term accord would check in at a much higher price tag given the upward trend in the receiver market over the past few years. Questions about the Ohio State product’s willingness to remain with the Jets will no doubt linger until such a pact is worked out, but if the new decision-makers start over on offense Wilson will remain a central figure for the unit.

Jets Notes: Rodgers, Reed, Lazard, FA

February 5th, 2025 at 10:10pm CST by Ben Levine

With the Jets having settled on their organizational hierarchy, focus will now pivot to the roster…particularly their high-priced, future Hall of Fame quarterback. Aaron Rodgers has generally been noncommittal regarding his Jets future, and the QB continued that trend during a chat with the Golf Channel during the WM Phoenix Open.

“I’ve talked with the Jets,” Rodgers said when asked about his immediate future (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini). “We’ll figure things out when we figure them out.”

New head coach Aaron Glenn and new GM Darren Mougey will be responsible for figuring out the team’s approach at the position, as Woody Johnson has said he’ll be hands off when it comes to the handling of Rodgers. Both sides have expressed interest in keeping Rodgers in New York for the 2025 campaign, but things can obviously quickly change.

While neither the organization nor Rodgers are being definitive about his status, two members of the Jets have made it clear they want the veteran back in 2025. Quincy Williams noted that the former Super Bowl winner “takes our game to another level,” while Jermaine Johnson said he’d “obviously” welcome Rodgers back next season (per Brian Costello of the New York Post).

More notes out of New York…

  • While Rodgers’ status with the team is uncertain, it sounds a bit more definitive that two other veterans won’t be back in 2025. According to Costello, cornerback D.J. Reed isn’t expected to re-sign with the organization while wide receiver Allen Lazard is expected to be a cap casualty. Reed inked a three-year contract with the Jets back in 2022 that’s set to expire, and the veteran should garner plenty of interest after starting each of his 46 appearances with the organization. Lazard is still attached to the four-year deal he signed with the organization in 2023, and while his numbers took a step forward playing alongside Rodgers, his production with the Jets (60 catches, 841 yards in 26 games) doesn’t justify the financial commitment.
  • Mekhi Becton has turned around his career in Philly, as the former first-round pick has shed his “bust” label. Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic explored Becton’s career evolution, including the end of his tumultuous tenure with the Jets. Most notably, the lineman ignored a number of messages from position coach John Benton during the 2022 offseason. This followed a 2021 campaign when Becton was limited to one game thanks to a knee injury. Becton’s 2022 season was somehow even worse, as the lineman suffered a kneecap injury that erased another campaign.
  • With Glenn now running the show, the former Lions defensive coordinator will predictably recruit players from his former stop. One of his potential targets will likely be Derrick Barnes, according to Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.com. The former fourth-round pick just completed his rookie contract after spending the first four seasons of his career in Detroit, where he collected 205 tackles in 51 games. The linebacker was limited to only three appearances this past season thanks to a knee injury.

AFC East Rumors: Van Pelt, Jets, Dolphins

January 15th, 2025 at 1:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Both the Giants and Vikings submitted viable offers to the Patriots for the No. 3 overall pick last year, with each NFC franchise eyeing Drake Maye. Each would have netted the Pats an additional second-rounder in last year’s draft and a first this year. New York’s proposal would have given New England this year’s third overall choice, but Maye now serves as the Pats’ franchise centerpiece. Ultimately, then-acting GM Eliot Wolf and ownership stayed and picked Maye. Though, there appeared to be some supporters of accepting a trade-down offer. At the time, it is believed OC Alex Van Pelt was among those who viewed the Pats’ roster as too deficient to pass on moving down, the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin notes.

While it may not be certain Mike Vrabel moves on from Van Pelt, the OC effectively confirmed this by telling friends he had been fired following the team’s Week 18 game. This came despite the organization being pleased with how he had helped develop Maye. Vrabel’s next play-caller’s chief assignment will be elevating Maye to another level in 2025.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • In December, Davante Adams was noncommittal about his Jets future. After all, the player responsible for him being traded to New York — Aaron Rodgers — appears on his way out. After the season, Adams did not confirm (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) he would be following Rodgers out the door, but he said staying with the team post-Rodgers would depend on a few factors. Adams’ Raiders-built contract runs through 2026. Allen Lazard was more enthusiastic about staying with the Jets. The lower-profile Rodgers come-with guy at receiver, Lazard went from being a healthy scratch at a point in 2023 to totaling 530 yards and six touchdowns this season. Lazard said (via Cimini) he wants to stay and later retire a Jet. Though, his four-year, $44MM contract would produce $11MM in savings if removed from the payroll via a post-June 1 release.
  • Calais Campbell said before season’s end he was not closing the door on playing an 18th NFL season, and the accomplished defensive lineman noted after the Dolphins‘ year wrapped (via ESPN.com’s Marcel Louis-Jacques) that he will consider an age-39 slate. Campbell notched five sacks, and his 12 tackles for loss were his most since 2018. The Dolphins had him on their books for just $2MM this season, and after they nearly traded him back to the Ravens at the deadline, it stands to reason the Miami alum will look into landing with a contender soon.
  • Elsewhere on the Dolphins’ roster, both Jaelan Phillips and Austin Jackson are expected to be fine for the 2025 opener, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson tweets. Phillips, who suffered an Achilles tear in 2023 and a partially torn ACL this season, is going into his fifth-year option campaign. Jackson, who suffered a meniscus tear, is tied to a three-year, $36MM extension. Swing tackle Kendall Lamm is almost definitely set to depart in free agency, Jackson adds. The Dolphins’ Patrick Paul second-round draft choice had pointed the veteran elsewhere. That said, Grier said the Dolphins “are going to have to” invest in O-linemen this offseason. While the team has three higher-end tackle investments under contract, its interior situation is less solidified.
  • Staying with O-lines, Vrabel confirmed (via the Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi) the Patriots‘ front will be a priority this offseason. This echoes a recent report that suggested OL and WR would be New England’s top target areas. The Pats struggled up front, with the loss of David Andrews and the left tackle carousel being among the issues. Vrabel leaned on the ground game in Tennessee, largely because of Derrick Henry‘s presence, but the Pats have by far the most cap space exiting the season. With questions existing just about everywhere outside of Michael Onwenu‘s presence (and even his position has fluctuated), allocating considerable resources up front seems likely as the Pats attempt to protect Maye.

Woody Johnson Vetoed Jets’ Trade For Jerry Jeudy Due To Madden Rating

December 22nd, 2024 at 1:24pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

DECEMBER 22: Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports negotiations between the Jets and Broncos on a Jeudy trade never actually reached the point where a deal was imminent. Talks stopped once the previously-known offer including Lazard and a draft pick was made (one which, Florio adds, Denver was not interested in), with Jeudy ultimately being dealt to the Browns. Johnson’s involvement in trade talks ending is unclear based on this update, but an increased offer from Douglas would have been required for Jeudy to have wound up in New York.

DECEMBER 19: Most leaders use information and data from a wide variety of sources to drive their decision-making process. For Jets owner Woody Johnson, that apparently includes his video games and his teenage sons.

It came out after the firing of general manager Joe Douglas that Johnson vetoed the Jets’ acquisition of Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy in exchange for Allen Lazard and a Day 2 pick. A month later, the reason for Johnson’s resistance was revealed (via The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt, Dianna Russini and Michael Silver): Jeudy’s rating in EA Sports’ popular Madden video game series.

Jeudy started the 2023 season with an 83 rating in Madden 24 and dropped to an 81 by the offseason, when the trade was being negotiated. (Lazard, meanwhile, began the season at 78 and finished at 76.) This being a method of Jets operation this season would not exactly make working for Johnson especially appealing for HC and GM candidates moving forward, but the owner has made his voice known on several occasions this year. And he is not expected to leave for a role in Donald Trump’s second presidential administration in 2025.

In terms of real-life football, Jeudy was clearly the more productive receiver last year with 54 receptions on 87 targets for 758 yards (3.4 receptions and 47.4 yards per game). Lazard reeled in just 23 of his 49 targets for 311 yards (1.6 receptions and 22.2 yards per game). Lazard has been more effective this year, catching 31 of his 49 targets for 430 yards and five touchdowns, but Jeudy has been even better after being traded to the Browns with career-highs of 70 receptions and 1,052 yards.

The Broncos were believed to have been stunned why the trade talks broke down, as the teams were believed to have been deep in negotiations. Douglas is believed to have told Broncos brass of Johnson’s Madden-based reason for bailing on the trade, per Russini, Rosenblatt and Silver. Denver ended up flipping Jeudy for a lesser return — fifth- and sixth-round picks. The Jets ended up signing Mike Williams to a one-year, $10MM deal — months before unloading him at the deadline.

This is not the only time that a video game has influenced Johnson’s personnel desires. He also “pushed back on signing free-agent guard John Simpson due to a lackluster ‘awareness’ rating in Madden,” per The Athletic. Douglas signed Simpson to a two-year, $18MM deal anyway, and the veteran lineman has quietly earned the eighth-highest grade among NFL guards from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) with a $12MM valuation from OverTheCap for his play this year.

Jets executives have pointed to Johnson’s Madden obsession as evidence of disproportionate influence from his sons, Brick and Jack. They began sitting in on team meetings last year and frequently share posts and articles from social media with their father that are weighed against the advice of the Jets’ decision-makers. “I answer to teenagers,” said Douglas before the season, according to The Athletic.

Johnson’s sons have even violated the traditional sanctity of the Jets’ locker room, bringing friends and openly airing their criticism of the team. Brick Johnson even pre-empted Aaron Rodgers after the Jets’ Halloween win, their first after firing Robert Saleh four weeks prior. Rodgers intended to give a customary game ball to Jeff Ulbrich for his first victory as a head coach. Instead, Brick Johnson jumped into give a game ball to Garrett Wilson – complete with a profanity-laden exclamation for social media – and Woody Johnson took Rodgers’ ball to give to Ulbrich himself. One player called it “the most awkward, cringe-worthy, brutal experience.”

Even for a Jets team that has received a torrent of criticism, this would be new territory. Woody Johnson fired Saleh without going to Douglas and effectively stripped power from his GM this year, predictably preceding Douglas’ ouster weeks later. The owner has entrusted ex-GMs Mike Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman to run the team’s HC search, though the owner obviously has the final call. Today’s revelations add a bizarre chapter to what has been one of the more eventful Jets years; this report coming as the team is conducting searches only adds to the strangeness surrounding this organization.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/7/24

December 7th, 2024 at 8:17pm CST by Ely Allen

Saturday’s minor transactions, including gameday practice squad elevations:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Eagles starting tight end Dallas Goedert has been placed on injured reserve, so Jenkins will come up from the practice squad for a little added depth.

Jets To Activate Allen Lazard, Place C.J. Mosley On IR

December 6th, 2024 at 12:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jets will have Allen Lazard back in the fold in time for Week 14, but they will not see C.J. Mosley again this season. The latter is headed to injured reserve, head coach Jeff Ulbrich announced on Friday.

Mosley has been dealing with a herniated disk in his neck, and he has been limited to only four games in 2024. The veteran linebacker said last month he intended to return after New York’s Week 12 bye, but that did not turn out to be the case. Now, his attention will turn to recovery for the 2025 campaign.

After opting out of the 2020 campaign, Mosley posted three consecutive seasons without a major injury issue while serving as a full-time starter. His success in that regard landed him a fresh set of guarantees via an extension this past March. Only some of the five-time Pro Bowler’s compensation for 2025 is locked in, however, leading to questions about his future with the Jets in the wake of his missed time this season.

Mosley, who will turn 33 next summer, agreed to a pay cut in exchange for the guarantees this year. With the Jets set to retool around a new coaching staff and GM, it is worth wondering if this will be it for the decorated linebacker in New York.

That said, the team inserted three void years into Mosley’s contract. With $4.25MM of Mosley’s $8.25MM base salary guaranteed for next year and the void years present, the Jets would take on considerable dead money by cutting their most experienced defender. It would cost the Jets $16.4MM in dead cap to release Mosley in 2025, though a post-June 1 designation would split that bill over two years. With new regimes less concerned about dead money coming from old contracts, this could be something to monitor still.

The Jets also activated offensive lineman Wes Schweitzer from IR, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Plenty has changed since Schweitzer was last on the roster; the veteran swingman went on IR with a hand injury after Week 1. Still, the Jets have seen him return to full strength. Schweitzer, 31, has not seen action in a game this season but will have a chance to suit up and play for another midlevel contract come 2025. The former Falcons and Commanders blocker is on track for free agency at season’s end.

Lazard would seem likely to be done in New York after this season. Although the ex-Packers pass catcher showed notable improvement from a disappointing 2023 thanks to Aaron Rodgers‘ return, his contract containing no guarantees beyond 2024 — along with the Rodgers-driven nature of his arrival — points to a 2025 exit. The Jets would save more than $6MM by cutting Lazard next year. One void year is on Lazard’s contract, which includes an $11MM base salary for next season. Lazard, 29 next week, has 30 receptions for 412 yards and five touchdowns this season.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

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