Lazard Lands with Jets
Edition #347
Good morning! 🌟
Aaron Rodgers is joining Pat McAfee today on his YouTube channel at 1 pm EST, and hopefully, a decision is revealed. The worst part of this is we’re all pretty sure what it’s going to be, but Aaron being Aaron wants to ensure that seed of doubt is in everyone’s mind until he’s ready to say it isn’t.
This certainly sounds like someone who has made up his mind. So we should get some actual clarity today, even if a deal between the Packers/Jets may take just a little bit longer. It now doesn’t seem to be a case of whether he will retire or not, it’s more about when the trade happens and what the Jets give up. I do think Corey Davis will be involved which makes sense, but I’m hoping we hang on to our first-round pick. It shouldn’t take #13 overall to get this deal done considering the leverage situation.
The player in question is likely to be Jake Brendel, the center for San Francisco who the Jets were desperate for. Unfortunately, Brendel wanted to stay in San Fran and signed a new deal with the 49ers.
We did have a signing yesterday and it’s one with serious connections to Rodger’s, which again leads me to believe that the world’s worst-kept secret will be officially revealed today on YouTube of all places.
Anyway, it was a busy day yesterday so let’s get into it.
✍️ We have a marquee signing! According to multiple reports, the Jets have signed former Green Bay Packers Receiver Allen Lazard on a 4-year deal worth $44 million with $22 million guaranteed. It’s slightly more than I was expecting for Lazard but the receiver market has gone bonkers recently and we all know that Rodgers wanted Lazard in New York.
Lazard will be entering his 6th season in the league next year after going undrafted out of Iowa State in 2018. 2022 represented his best statistical year as he caught 60 passes for 788 yards and 6 touchdowns. He was heavily relied on by Rodgers as a third-down target. Lazard had 18 catches on 3rd down last year that resulted in a 1st down, only 8 players in the NFL had more (Lamb, Hill, Olave, Adams, Kelce, St Brown, Cooper, and Jefferson). He was also Rodgers' most-targeted receiver in the red-zone.
Rodgers found Lazard for 6 touchdowns last season, but he did also throw 5 interceptions while targeting him, with 3 of them coming on passes that traveled 20 yards or more in the air. Only Robert Tonyan had more than 1 interception against him (2) while being targeted in Green Bay in 2022 other than Lazard. That 5 interceptions when targeted number also put Lazard/Rodgers in the top 10 in the league, something to watch.
So there are definitely pluses and minuses to their time together in Green Bay.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Jets Way to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.