Lazard was brought in on a four-year, $44 million contract two offseasons ago as a part of the Jets’ recruitment of Aaron Rodgers. The move was only slightly less disastrous than the one to acquire Rodgers. Lazard did little in his first season as a Jet and was a healthy scratch late in the year. He looked better when paired with Rodgers last year, going for 530 yards and six scores in a dozen games. Lazard doesn’t bring much to the table without Rodgers throwing him the ball, but a pay cut will make keeping him around as a locker room veteran far more palatable for the Jets. Per Over the Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald, the move will save New York $8.5 million in cap space this year.

Mougey described the situation as “fluid.” Lazard caught 37-of-60 targets for 530 yards and six touchdowns last season. He is best suited to a rotational role at this point. The Jets would take on a $6.55 million salary cap hit this season if they were to cut him but also stand to save $6.6 million.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter said the Jets are open to keeping Lazard in 2025. Brought to New York as part of the failed Aaron Rodgers starter set, Lazard — who has two years remaining on his deal with the Jets — will see if there are any teams interested in his services. After being held to 37 receptions over 12 games in 2024, Lazard’s best shot is to wait for Rodgers to sign with a team and bring in his buddies, as he did with the Jets in 2023. Lazard, 29, is three years removed from his career-best 2022 season in Green Bay. He would count as a $13.2 million salary cap hit for the Jets in 2025, and the Jets can save $6.6 million in cap space by releasing Lazard if no trade materializes.

Rosenblatt lays it out pretty clearly, writing that Lazard “was always getting released after the second year of a disastrous four-year, $44 million contract he signed as a free agent in 2023.” The price for playing ball with Aaron Rodgers when the team traded for him was to sign his long-time buddy Lazard, who spent five seasons with Rodgers in Green Bay. As many expected, Lazard hasn’t proven to be much of an offensive upgrade for the Jets through two seasons, amassing 60 catches for 841 yards and seven scores thus far. After getting off to a strong start in 2024, in which he posted a 30-412-5 line through the first seven games of the season, Lazard became an afterthought following the trade for Davante Adams and only cracked 50 receiving yards once after Week 7. The Jets can save $6.6 million in cap space if they designate him as a pre-June 1 release while taking on a $6.5 million dead cap hit. However, the savings move to $11 million with a dead cap hit of $2.1 million if he’s designated as post-June 1. Regardless, it won’t cost the team much to part ways with a receiver who has struggled to live up to his gaudy contract thus far.