As the New York Jets prepare for the 2024 NFL season, there is a lot of excitement surrounding the team.
Aaron Rodgers is back healthy and the team is stacked on both sides of the football. The Super Bowl hype has returned from the national media and there are real reasons to believe that the hype could be well-founded.
Offensively, the Jets are loaded with talent like Garrett Wilson, Mike Williams, and Breece Hall. With a healthy Rodgers, that group could be among the NFL's elite offenses.
Defensively, New York is widely expected to have one of the NFL's best units. Behind the leadership and star talent of names like C.J. Mosley, Quinnen Williams, and Sauce Gardner, the defense will be dominant.
While the star power is there, the role players will need to step up. There is one name that is starting to look like a potential key impact piece on the offensive side of the football.
After a brutal first season with the team in 2023, Allen Lazard has been looking much better so far this year. His friendship with Aaron Rodgers and chemistry with him could give the Jets a much-needed consistent No. 3 wide receiver.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated recently reported that Lazard has "made some waves" so far ahead of the regular season.
"One thing that still needs to be sorted out is receiver roles beyond Garrett Wilson, and in that regard Allen Lazard’s made some waves this summer. He battled knee and shoulder injuries last year, and that pushed his career, at 28 years old, to a bit of crossroads. He’s responded with a real sense of urgency, grinding away with receivers coach Shawn Jefferson, almost as if to prove he’s a lot more than just Rodgers’s buddy from Green Bay. Even better, he’s been like a coach in the room for the younger receivers, given his experience from his time with the Packers. So he’s squarely in the mix with rookie Malachi Corley a rugged run-after-catch guy who’ll make some splash plays, and veteran Mike Williams, who is getting healthy again."
Looking back at the 2023 season, Lazard ended up catching just 23 passes for 311 yards and a touchdown. After signing a four-year, $44 million deal with New York in free agency, that was a huge disappointment.
Throughout the offseason, it was widely speculated that Lazard could be a potential roster cut.
Despite all of that speculation, Lazard seems to be back on track. The presence of Rodgers likely has something to do with that, but the 28-year-old wideout was a quality player during his tenure with the Green Bay Packers.
If Lazard can continue impressing and take hold of the No. 3 wide receiver role, the Jets will be in a very good position. A three-headed monster at wide receiver of Wilson, Williams, and Lazard would be dangerous.
Hopefully, Lazard can right the ship with New York in 2024. He was signed to be a key impact player last offseason and he's showing signs of potentially becoming that player in year two with the Jets.
