New York Jets Wide Receiver Hasn’t Come Close to Living up to Lofty Contract

New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard has been one of the biggest free agent busts in recent years.

Oct 14, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard (10) reacts after catching a pass for a first down against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at MetLife Stadium. / Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

There have been a lot of mistakes made by the New York Jets when it comes to building their roster over the last few years.

It has played a major part in the team being mired in the slump they have been, as 2024 was the ninth consecutive season they finished under the .500 mark and extended their playoff drought to 14 years.

There are plenty of roster moves that people would bring up as the worst one under general manager Joe Douglas. The Haason Reddick trade has been a disaster and drafting has been an issue at times as well.

In free agency, in the running for the biggest bust is wide receiver Allen Lazard.

An undrafted free agent out of Iowa State, he earned his way onto the Green Bay Packers in 2018. He steadily climbed the depth chart, becoming a favorite of Aaron Rodgers as he earned a more prominent role in the passing game.

That relationship, combined with his solid production, resulted in Lazard being signed to a four-year, $44 million deal as a free agent in 2023. That move preceded Rodgers being acquired in a trade, as they would reunite soon after.

Alas, the success they had together in Green Bay has not carried over to New York.

Since joining the Jets, Lazard has been arguably the worst wide receiver in the NFL and hasn’t come close to living up to the expectations a contract of that size brings.

In Year 1 with Gang Green, he caught only 23 passes for 311 yards and one touchdown in 14 games. He was among the least efficient wide receivers in the league along with Randall Cobb, another former Packers teammate.

This year, his numbers have ticked up. 

He has caught 33 passes for 450 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games, as having Rodgers in the lineup has been beneficial. But, he has struggled holding onto the ball.

As shared by Connos Hughes of SNY, the veteran pass catcher has dropped nine of his 54 targets this year, coming out to an abysmal 16.6%.

#Jets WR Allen Lazard has 9 drops this season on 54 targets -- 16.6 percent.

— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) December 22, 2024

With zero guaranteed dollars remaining on his contract, it seems like a no-brainer decision to release Lazard this offseason. He isn’t living up to his end of the bargain on the field as his production has been pitiful with the Jets.

He hasn't consistently helped put the team in a position to win games. With nothing left to play for, his snaps should be going to Malachi Corley so that he can get some experience and work through whatever growing pains still exist.

For them to climb out of this hole, they need a true clean slate. Moving on from Rodgers and the players who were brought in to appease him is a good first step for whoever takes over as general manager and head coach to start heading in the right direction.