New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard celebrating with his former teammate Aaron Rodgers.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk expects the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers to strike a trade for wide receiver Allen Lazard ahead of training camp in late July.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic strongly responded to those rumors on X previously Twitter.
“Why exactly would the Jets just give the Steelers a receiver (Allen Lazard) that Aaron Rodgers wants? What purpose would that serve unless they got a legitimate draft pick in return?” Rosenblatt openly asked.
Why exactly would the Jets just give the Steelers a receiver (Allen Lazard) that Aaron Rodgers wants? What purpose would that serve unless they got a legitimate draft pick in return?
(Just responding to rumors I’ve seen on social media. Not anything actually happening.)
Steelers Insider Gets Brutally Honest About Trade Value for Lazard
I spoke with Insider Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot on “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital,” and he revealed the brutally honest truth on Lazard’s apparent trade value.
“Not a whole lot. I know that pay cut he took is going to make that trade a little bit more feasible, but I don’t think anything more than a late day three selection,” Kozora told me. “So I don’t know what you’re going to give up for the guy, maybe a sixth-round pick? It’s not going to be much, though.”
#Steelers Insider @Alex_Kozora of @Steelersdepot told me that Pittsburgh won’t be giving up much if they go through with the #Jets trade for Allen Lazard this offseason.
‘You’re not getting anything more than a late day 3 selection … I don’t know what you’re going to give up…
If all the Jets can get in return for Lazard is a late day three pick, a sixth or seventh rounder, it might make sense to wait or hold off on the deal altogether.
One of the biggest questions about the Jets’ roster is their lack of depth at the wide receiver position. To willingly give up some of that depth for inconsequential value doesn’t make sense.
Especially when you consider the Jets play against the Steelers in the season opener. If the Jets trade Lazard for a future draft pick, they’d be getting worse at wide receiver. While simultaneously, they would be helping the Steelers get better.
Rodgers missed a large chunk of the offseason, which could come back to bite him early in the 2025 season. Lazard is a player he is intimately familiar with and has pre-built chemistry with him from their time together with the Green Bay Packers and, most recently, the Jets.
Lazard could have a big early impact with Rodgers if reunited because of their prior relationship.
The Jets should probably wait until at least Week 2, or better yet, just hold onto the depth just in case.
Steelers Insider Shares More Details on Lazard-Jets Trade Rumors
“Certainly wouldn’t be shocking given Pittsburgh’s need at receiver after trading George Pickens, but it may take a bit of time for Pittsburgh to evaluate their internal group. They have shown interest in outside receivers like Gabe Davis as well, but given some of the time that Aaron Rodgers has missed and his tendency to bring in his guys. I call it the Adam Sandler movie, Happy Madison Productions. You just bring in your friends for the movie, and they follow you along. It’s pretty much the same thing in Rodgers’ career arc. So yeah, it certainly wouldn’t be shocking [if the trade happened],” Kozora told me.
Lazard took an $8.5 million pay cut to stick around this offseason. The social media activity after that move suggests Lazard wants to remain a Jet.
If that’s true, the Jets should want players who want to be with the program. Lazard reworked his contract so that after this year, he will hit unrestricted free agency. It’s in both parties’ interest to come together for 2025 and figure things out beyond that in 2026.
