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Allen Lazard has no idea whether he’ll be back with the Jets next season.
He also said Thursday it’s “too early to think about” whether he’d even want to be here if quarterback Aaron Rodgers is not.
The Jets signed Lazard to a four-year, $44 million deal, with only the first two years guaranteed, in spring of 2023. About a month later, the Jets traded for Rodgers, whom Lazard considers a mentor.
Very little has gone right for the Jets and Lazard since.
Lazard’s first season in New York was underwhelming. It didn’t help either that Rodgers missed the entire season after injuring his achilles in the 2023 season opener.
Coming off his best season yet with the Packers, Lazard registered only 23 catches on 49 targets for 311 yards and one touchdown and was deactivated for the final two games of the 2023 season.
With Rodgers back, the Jets hoped to have a better outcome this time around. And at least for Lazard early on, that seemed to be the case.
Lazard scored five touchdowns and registered 345 yards on 26 catches in the Jets’ first six games.
But he hasn’t scored since and his overall production has drastically declined. He also spent five weeks on injured reserve with a chest injury.
Lazard was activated earlier this month. He didn’t register a single reception on any of his four targets in the Jets’ Dec. 15 win against the Jaguars.
More recently, Lazard posted only two receptions on five targets for 20 yards in a frustrating loss to the Rams.
Lazard, who has 450 receiving yards this season, owned up to his shortcomings over the past two years.
“You can list multiple things as far as why last year went the way that it did and why this year went the way that it did as well,” he said. “So at the end of the day, I think it’s all about the process and preparing yourself to be successful in the opportunities to present themselves.”
The Jets have gone 11-21 since Lazard signed with the team, and the offense’s constant struggles and repeated missed opportunities have taken their toll on the 29-year-old.
“As a competitor, I kind of base everything off wins and losses,” he said. “I’ve never really been focused on my individual statistics as much as, you know, I do value and care about them. At the end of the day, I care about winning more. And since we haven’t done that really much or consistently here, I wouldn’t say I’ve accomplished what I wanted to accomplish coming here.”
The Jets have two games remaining, including Sunday’s trip to the Buffalo Bills, before they can officially put to bed another unceremonious season.
Lazard doesn’t know what the future holds beyond this season. If the Jets cut him after this season, they would take a $6.5 million cap hit, according to Spotrac.
For now, his priority is finishing the season strong.
“My focus is just being healthy on Jan. 6,” he said.
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