Green Bay Packers receiver Allen Lazard is bound for free agency and if the wideout is leaving the franchise, he just sent a strong message on his way out.
The gist of that message: the Packers ought to do all they can to hold onto quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Lazard spoke with TMZ Sports on Saturday, February 18, and was asked by the interviewer where Rodgers ranks historically at the position of quarterback.
“The greatest of all time,” Lazard said of Rodgers. “Not might, no might. Drop the might. He’s the GOAT.”
The interviewer pushed back, invoking the name of the recently retired seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, but Lazard remained steadfast in his assessment.
“The best person to ever pick up a football and throw the ball,” Lazard reiterated. “I’ll leave it at that.”
Packers Intend to Trade Aaron Rodgers, per Insider Report
GettyQuarterback Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers warms up prior to a game against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field on January 8, 2023 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Whether Lazard will re-sign with the Packers remains an open question, as the NFL’s free agency period won’t officially begin until March 15.
Rodgers, on the other hand, is under contract with the team for the next two years, which would seemingly render his future much more secure. However, long-time Packers insider and reporter Bob McGinn reported on the February 17 edition of the Go Long Podcast with Tyler Dunne that the opposite is actually true.
“They are done with Rodgers. He’s not coming back,” McGinn said. “I mean, they’re disgusted with him, and they’re done with him, and they’re moving on.”
McGinn went on to say that he was “totally convinced” that Green Bay will part ways with Rodgers this offseason, and that the four-time MVP would back up quarterback Jordan Love if he did somehow remain with the Packers next year.
Aaron Rodgers, Allen Lazard Unlikely to Play for Packers Next Season
GettyQuarterback Aaron Rodgers (left) of the Green Bay Packers and wide receiver Allen Lazard (right) celebrate after a touchdown during a game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on January 9, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan.
The Packers can’t cut Rodgers due to his dead salary cap figure of nearly $100 million, which means a trade is the only option assuming he doesn’t choose to retire and leave nearly $60 million in actual salary on the table in 2023 alone.
Rodgers has stumped publicly for Lazard’s return to the Packers in free agency but if McGinn is correct, the QB’s days of influencing player personnel decisions in Green Bay are now over. Thus, whatever Rodgers and the Packers ultimately decide to do, it appears likely that his five-year run as Lazard’s quarterback has come to an end.
“I’m an Aaron Rodgers fan at the end of the day … so I’m gonna cheer for him regardless of [whether] he’s in Green Bay or some other team or not,” Lazard told TMZ Sports. “Obviously, catching passes from him, it’s been a highlight of my life.”
The best chance the two have of reuniting is if Lazard signs a free agent deal with whichever team Rodgers is traded to this offseason. The most likely landing spots are currently the New York Jets and the Las Vegas Raiders.
Lazard has a market value of $12.5 million annually over the next three years, per Spotrac projections, while Green Bay is currently around $4.7 million over the salary cap for 2023 and needs more playmaking in the WR room than Lazard can be expected to provide.
Lazard has caught 169 passes for 2,236 yards and 20 touchdowns over this 57-game career with the Packers, per Pro Football Reference.
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Packers’ Allen Lazard Sounds Off on Aaron Rodgers Ahead of Free Agency