Aaron Rodgers is officially signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers, which begs the question: Will any of his friends be joining him via trade?
When Rodgers became a member of the New York Jets, it wasn’t long before multiple former Green Bay Packers followed suit. And some are already speculating that the Rodgers addition will prompt a trade pursuit of veteran wide receiver Allen Lazard.
“I fully expect that sooner than later, and no later than training camp, the Steelers will trade for Jets receiver Allen Lazard,” Pro Football Talk insider Mike Florio predicted on June 5. Adding: “I’ve been waiting for that one to happen.”
Lazard has made an entire career out of playing football with Rodgers, following him from Green Bay to the Jets. Gang Green also made it clear that they would be open to moving Lazard at the start of the offseason, but eventually convinced him to take a pay cut instead.
That contract agreement between Lazard and the Jets actually makes it easier for them to trade him. Being that his salary is much lower now.
“[The Steelers] kicked the tires on Gabe Davis, who was cut by the [Jacksonville] Jaguars last month,” Florio continued on June 5, “and they have been waiting to know what Rodgers is going to do. Lazard is a perfect complement because when Lazard is with Rodgers, he plays really well; when he is not with Rodgers, he does not play very well.”
The Pro Football Talk insider concluded that the Jets “may do the song and dance for a little bit,” but at the end of the day, if their new regime can get any value out of Lazard via trade, they will gladly send him packing.
Steelers Beat Reporter Pushes for Allen Lazard Trade
Steelers Now beat reporter Alan Saunders made the case that Pittsburgh should strike a deal for Lazard on June 6.
“The top players on Sharp Football’s list of best available free agents at the position are not overwhelming,” Saunders said, citing Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper as the best options, among others.
“The news on the trade front is not much better, with the Steelers getting nowhere on their pursuit of Chris Olave from the New Orleans Saints or with calls to the Green Bay Packers and a number of other teams,” Saunders went on. Eventually working his way to Lazard.
“Lazard is not a flashy name, but he had more of the right kind of production than most of the rest of the options,” the reporter reasoned. “His 530 yards came while spending two-thirds of his time playing outside last year. And we know he’s a fit with Rodgers.”
Saunders also pointed out his run-blocking prowess and 6-foot-5 size, both of which should work well within an Arthur Smith scheme.
Although it’s unclear if the Jets would be willing to help Rodgers and the Steelers before Week 1, being that they’re facing off, Saunders rounded out his argument by stating that “it’s not a slam dunk, but the Steelers should absolutely be pursuing Lazard. It wouldn’t just be because he’s an old friend of Rodgers. He’s legitimately one of the better options on the market.”
Steelers Fans Appear Unhappy With Aaron Rodgers Signing
The Athletic’s Steelers correspondent Mike DeFabo posted a poll on June 5 after the Rodgers signing. It asked: “Do you want Aaron Rodgers?”
The response from Yinzer Nation? 68.1% in favor of “no.”
https://twitter.com/MikeDeFabo/status/1930709719074976083
Granted, there is likely some room for error in a public poll like this. Nearly 4,000 fans voted, but there’s no real way of telling if they were all Steelers supporters or not.
4,000 people is also a fraction of the Steelers fan base.
Having said that, polls do often serve as a good focus group in situations like these. Based on the results, chance are at least 50% of Pittsburgh fans aren’t crazy about the Rodgers decision, maybe more.
