Part of the reason the Green Bay Packers are a perpetually competitive team in the NFC is their sixth sense of which free agents to pay and which to let walk. Choosing not to give wide receiver Allen Lazard a big contract is one of Brian Guetkunst's more prudent and wise decisions.
Despite being a homegrown developmental success story who rose from the ranks of the undrafted to become one of Aaron Rodgers' most trusted targets, Green Bay was more than comfortable letting Lazard leave to join the New York Jets on a four-year, $44 million contract.
Three seasons into that deal, Lazard has mustered just 911 total receiving yards and has found himself at the very bottom of one of the worst wide receiver rooms in the NFL. Languishing on a 3-11 team that is looking toward 2026, Lazard admitted defeat and asked out of town.
The Jets finally decided to get rid of Lazard, releasing the veteran so he can possibly try to entice a contender into signing him. Imagine what Green Bay's offense would look like if Lazard got that contract.
Former Packers WR Allen Lazard mercifully released by Jets
Lazard was a fairly reliable No. 3 wide receiver when Rodgers was in town, with his 788-yard, six-touchdown season in 2022 standing out as his best season in Packers green. The problem the Jets made was hoping that Lazard could fill the role of No. 2 wide receiver, when a No. 3 is probably his ceiling.
The 2023 season, in which Lazard had just 311 yards and one touchdown with Zach Wilson driving the bus, already eroded whatever optimism and goodwill the Jets' fanbase had for him. Even though he managed to bounce back just a bit when Rodgers returned in 2024, he has just 70 receiving yards on the entire season.
Lazard's only hope of getting another job in the NFL with somewhat immediate effect may be getting linked back up with Rodgers as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Based solely on his poor performance without Rodgers, it might be difficult for any team to consider him as a viable pass-catcher.
The Packers replaced Lazard immediately, and their deep wide receiver room remains one of the strengths of the team. Rodgers brought so many positive things to the Packers, but Lazard may not be one of them, as his time with the Jets confirmed how ineffective he is without a future Hall of Famer under center.