Allen Lazard injury news spells trouble for Jets fan-favorite’s roster chances

The New York Jets will have some very difficult roster decisions to make over the next 48 hours, and no position group poses more of a challenge for the team's top decision-makers than wide receiver.

Fan-favorites summer standouts such as Brandon Smith, Jamaal Pritchett, and Quentin Skinner have been pushing for roster spots, and based on merit, it's hard to argue any of the three deserve to be left off.

But NFL roster decisions are rarely determined on merit alone. A recent injury update regarding veteran wide receiver Allen Lazard could be bad news for some of the Jets' younger roster hopefuls.

Head coach Aaron Glenn told reporters on Monday that Lazard — along with quarterback Tyrod Taylor and running back Isaiah Davis — is on track to play Week 1. That's not ideal for Smith's chances of making the 53-man roster.

Allen Lazard injury update is bad news for Brandon Smith's Jets roster hopes

Lazard injured his shoulder in the Jets' first preseason game against the Green Bay Packers a few weeks ago and has not practiced since. The belief was that he could be a candidate for the short-term IR to start the season, thus opening a potential roster spot in the receiver room.

Smith seemed like the logical candidate to take his place. The former UFL standout has impressed over the last two preseasons with the Jets and actually assumed the Lazard role in the first-team offense following the latter's injury.

At 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, Smith has the ability to be the big-bodied, physical boundary receiver that the Jets want Lazard to be. Smith led the Jets with 10 catches for 113 yards this preseason, flashing his big-play upside whenever he was on the field.

The Jets have made it pretty clear that Allen Lazard isn’t going anywhere. Cutting him isn’t financially realistic after restructuring his deal this offseason, and while trading him might be feasible, the team doesn’t seem interested in exploring that route.

The Jets love Lazard's blocking and see him as an important part of an offense that plans to be run-heavy in 2025. He will be a part of the 53-man roster unless a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers comes calling with a reasonable trade offer before Week 1.

Garrett Wilson, Josh Reynolds, Lazard, Arian Smith, and Tyler Johnson should all be locks for the 53-man roster, while one of Xavier Gipson or Jamaal Pritchett is expected to join them. That already gives the team six wide receivers.

Of course, the Jets could always opt to carry seven wide receivers, but that doesn't seem like the best allocation of roster spots for a team that doesn't intend on passing the ball very much in 2025.

Despite Smith’s outstanding summer, the former Iowa standout could find himself on the wrong side of the roster bubble after the latest Lazard update. Jets fans may want to brace for disappointment.

More NY Jets news and analysis: