After the Detroit Lions stunned the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau to cap off a forgettable 2022 season, Allen Lazard was good as gone – at least, if his postgame interview was any indication. He is currently poised to hit the exploding receiver market next month as the third-best available wideout, according to Yahoo Sports. The dearth of receiving talent in this year’s free-agent class should position him for a healthy payday of at least $10 million annually.
Given his end-of-season comments, the uncertainty surrounding Aaron Rodgers, his holdout ahead of 2022, Green Bay’s precarious cap situation, and last season’s anemic offensive performance with Lazard as the top option opposite rookie Christian Watson, it’s felt like an incredibly safe bet that he’ll be finding a new home in a few weeks. However, according to a report from NFL insider Matt Lombardo, the Packers are pushing to re-sign Lazard before the new league year begins on March 15.
The former undrafted free agent capped off his meteoric rise from the practice squad to No. 1 receiver in his fifth year in Green Bay, leading the team with 60 receptions for 788 yards. At 6’5” and 227 lbs., Lazard’s massive frame has made him extremely valuable in the Packers’ scheme. He’s excelled as an outside blocker and first emerged as a secondary receiving option in 2019, taking advantage of the space and favorable matchups that playing next to Davante Adams provided.
Ahead of an offseason that promises to be quite the reckoning for a traditionally stable franchise, the reported effort to re-sign Lazard may provide insight into the larger strategy Brian Gutekunst and Mark Murphy are set to pursue in the coming months. The big story in Green Bay — and the league — is Rodgers’ unresolved fate. As the future Hall-of-Famer marinates in darkness, conflicting reports have circulated about the team’s outlook on his decision. Former Packers beat reporter Bob McGinn claimed the organization is “disgusted” with him and ready to move on, while NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and ESPN’s Jeff Darlington have heard that the team wants him back.
Lazard has found his way into Rodgers’ circle of especially valued teammates, alongside guys like Randall Cobb, Marcedes Lewis, and Robert Tonyan. Therefore, it’s more likely than not that their fates in Green Bay are tied to some extent. Rodgers fully embraced Lazard as the top option ahead of 2022, showering his “unvaccinated brother” with praise and wearing a Rodgers-Lazard “Make Green Bay Great Again” shirt to the facility.
While we are probably past the days of Rodgers ordering management to trade for his best friend in order to secure his signature, a long-term deal for Lazard wouldn’t appear to fit the vision of an organization ready to pass the torch to Jordan Love. As well as Lazard fits into LaFleur’s scheme, a lot of his value comes from the connection and trust he’s built with Rodgers. If you’re the cap-strapped Packers trying to make life as easy as possible for your new young quarterback, who’s far from a rookie but will probably play like one, it would make more sense to allocate the limited funds to a space creator.
Once quarterback is resolved, a lot of attention will fully turn to the receiver position for the millionth-straight offseason. Watson’s second-year jump should be exciting, but likely not enough to elevate the offense to where it needs to be in order to contend. Allocating more than $10 million annually to Lazard would almost certainly take the Packers out of the running for DeAndre Hopkins, and possibly Tee Higgins should he become available. Obviously, the draft is a possibility, but pressing needs at safety and tight end figure to take priority with premium picks.
It’s worth noting that Green Bay’s push won’t mean much if Lazard remains set on venturing elsewhere. In a recent interview with SiriusXM, he expressed excitement at the opportunity to hear from teams in free agency and even alluded to weather considerations as a factor in his decision. If he departs, the Packers will lose a role-playing wideout to an open-market deal for the second-straight offseason, after Marquez Valdes-Scantling left for three years, $30 million (and a Super Bowl ring) in Kansas City.
Lazard acknowledged he’s been “spoiled” to develop his talents in the Packers organization, following his prior assertion that Rodgers is the greatest quarterback in NFL history. The impending resolution of Lazard’s uncertain future will carry significant schematic and financial implications for the team. More importantly, it will serve as a strong indicator of the direction the franchise is headed in this momentous offseason that will see them either trying to re-open their championship window or embark on a journey to create a new one.
