Allen Lazard DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The New York Jets are releasing wide receiver Allen Lazard, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports. Lazard hasn't played a significant role for the Jets this season, collecting 10 catches for 70 yards on 18 targets in 10 games. His snap share dipped to just 22.4% over the past three games after averaging 45.7% over his first seven games. The 29-year-old wideout was passed on the depth chart by trade-deadline acquisitions Adonai Mitchell and John Metchie III, who both present more youth and upside at the WR position. Lazard will likely be scooped by another team in the coming days, but he can be ignored in fantasy football.

The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt writes that New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard is fully expected to be released after Year 2 of his disastrous four-year, $44 million contract he signed as a free agent in 2023. Lazard was downright bad in 2023 and played only slightly better with quarterback Aaron Rodgers last year before getting hurt late in the season. The 29-year-old was one of the most drop-prone receivers in the league and admitted that he struggles when Rodgers isn't on the field. The Jets will sav $6.6 million in salary cap space if/when they cut Lazard while taking on $6.5 million in dead money. If he's a post-June 1 cut, the Jets would save $11 million with a $2.1 million dead-cap penalty. Lazard was a major miss, catching 60 passes for 841 yards and seven touchdowns in his two seasons with the Jets. If Rodgers retires this offseason, Lazard would be pretty bummed.

The New York Jets have made wide receiver Allen Lazard available in trade talks this offseason, according to league sources. Lazard is due a $10 million salary this season, so he's not likely to generate a ton of interest from other clubs after catching 23 of his 49 targets for 311 yards and one touchdown in 14 games (12 starts) for the Jets in 2023. The 28-year-old former Green Bay Packer came over before last season as a favorite of quarterback Aaron Rodgers from their time together in Green Bay, but Lazard didn't have much of a chance to excel once Rodgers tore his Achilles in Week 1. Perhaps Lazard could rebound with Rodgers returning this year if he sticks around, but it sounds like the Jets would rather just move on. If there are no takers for Lazard, the Jets could end up cutting him after June 1.