Allen Lazard's two-word response on difference from first season with Jets

New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard was a free-agent dud last season after signing a four-year contract, but the 28-year-old looked like a stud in Monday night’s season opener.

Lazard scored twice against the San Francisco 49ers, doubling his touchdown total from a year ago after only one game. He caught six of his last seven targets for a game-high 89 receiving yards.

Most importantly, the 28-year-old Lazard looked like the player the Jets thought they were getting when they awarded him a $ 44 million deal 18 months ago. While addressing reporters as the Jets prepare for their Week 2 matchup, the veteran pass-catcher responded to a question about what’s different this year compared to last.

“Aaron Rodgers,” said Lazard on Thursday in Florham Park. “It’s pretty simple.”

Lazard, a former undrafted free agent, spent the first five years of his career with the Rodgers-led Green Bay Packers. After Rodgers was lost four snaps into the 2023 season, Lazard totaled only 23 receptions on 49 targets in 14 games. He was a healthy scratch three times.

In 2022, his final season with Rodgers in Green Bay, Lazard led the team with 60 receptions for 788 yards. Two seasons later, Lazard and Rodgers were back at it on Monday Night Football and the two connected for a vintage 36-yard scoring strike.

In addition to scoring two touchdowns of his own, Lazard helped spring running back Breece Hall for a first-quarter TD rush while lining up tight to the short-yardage formation as a blocker.

“If it means blocking, if it’s catching touchdowns and if it means running off the safety to open it up, I’m all about it,” said Lazard.

Doing the dirty work is what got the undrafted prospect into the league in the first place and it appears that he’s reembraced his roots.