The NY Jets had high expectations when they signed former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard to a four-year, $44 million contract last offseason. After all, this was a player they'd given more guaranteed money to than any wide receiver signed during that free-agency period.
Lazard was one of the Jets' prized offseason additions, and he was expected to slot in alongside Garrett Wilson as the team's No. 2 wide receiver. The future presence of Aaron Rodgers only helped make the decision easier for both parties.
There was some pushback to the deal, with some believing that Lazard was overhyped in Green Bay, but even his staunchest of critics couldn't have anticipated what would happen in 2023.
Lazard was an unmitigated disaster in his first season with the Jets — there's no way around it. That said, the stage is set for the veteran wideout to have a bounce-back season if given the opportunity. At the very least, he can't be as bad as he was last year...right?
The NY Jets would love to see an Allen Lazard revenge tour in 2024
Lazard was never worth the contract he received from the Jets. The former Packers receiver struggled mightily with drops in Green Bay and was never particularly adept at creating separation.
The Jets didn't sign him to be a route-running savant, however. They hoped the big-bodied wide receiver could be a force in contested catch situations and give the team an added red-zone presence. Neither of those things happened.
Lazard finished with the worst drop percentage among qualified wide receivers in the NFL (and of his career), dropping a putrid 17.9 percent of his targets. His 23.5 percent contested catch rate was also a career-low, ranking seventh-worst among 89 qualified wide receivers with at least 45 targets.
He also ranked dead last in yards per route run (0.68) while ranking 75th out of 81 qualified receivers in YAC per reception (2.5). He was, by pretty much every metric, the worst wide receiver in football in 2023.
But don't take my word for it. Take it from ESPN Analytics, a site that uses a combination of advanced metrics including open score, catch rating, and YAC rating to rank wide receivers with one overall number.
Lazard's 20 overall receiver rating ranked last among all 153 qualified wide receivers. He couldn't get open, struggled to catch passes, and on the rare occasion he actually did catch a pass, he did next to nothing with the ball in his hands.
While Lazard was never worth what the Jets paid him, he's better than that. He might have an opportunity to prove that this season.
The return of Rodgers will certainly do wonders for both Lazard's confidence and potentially his role on the team. The Jets aren't counting on Lazard to be a big part of their offense in 2024, but he has a chance to be the team's fourth wide receiver entering the season.
There's also a high likelihood that he'll see the field at some point due to injuries, especially with Mike Williams coming off a torn ACL. Lazard is Williams' primary backup, and he's expected to receive plenty of snaps this summer with the former still rehabbing his injury.
The Jets were even trying out Lazard on special teams this spring, another indication that they're trying to find ways he could make an impact.
Lazard is going to be on the Jets' roster in 2024 — there's no financially feasible way around that. Barring a complete turnaround, the Jets will release him following the conclusion of the season.
But they're stuck with him for now. More importantly, he's stuck in Florham Park. The Allen Lazard we saw in 2023 is not the player he is or should be in 2024.
If Lazard is able to provide adequate wide receiver depth behind Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams this season, that should be considered a win for both parties.
