Lazard, who suffered chest trauma in Presen 7’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, was affected since Deny. 3, behind Garrett Wilson and recently landed Davante Adams. Lazard’s absence makes it much more likely that the Jets save Mike Williams instead of building him up to make trades.
The industry for Adams had relegated Williams to the Deny. 4 spot, a major loss in the playing year, but his value to the offense will increase without Lazard.
The trading deadline is November 5. Lazard is eligible to return on December 8 against the Miami Dolphins.
Despite six drops, Lazard is having the most fruitful season of his career, with 30 receptions for 412 yards and a team-high five touchdowns. This would be a loss for Rodgers, who leans on Lazard because of his history. They played together for four seasons with the Green Bay Packers.
The Jets signed Lazard to a four-year, $44 million commitment last year as a separate agent, but he was benched and finished with 23 receptions. Rodgers’ recovery from his 2023 Achilles trauma had sparked a season of rebirth for Lazard.
In another set of personnel strikes, the Jets announced that Riley Patterson will be their kicker Thursday night against the Houston Texans. He replaces the slumped Greg Zuerlein, who was once placed on injured reserve. They invited six different agents to a test Tuesday, with Patterson’s clients.
Patterson, 25, has not played for any team this season, but has played with the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns. He has made 88% of his ground role attempts (59 of 67).
The Jets also placed a defensive tackle by Leki Fotu (knee) on IR for the second year.
