Allen Lazard just made the most ridiculous claim about the Jets’ WR room

Every NFL offseason comes with its fair share of optimism, but Allen Lazard may have just taken it a step too far. With Aaron Rodgers now in Pittsburgh, the veteran wideout has constantly been considered a cut candidate this offseason, especially given he hasn’t done much to separate himself from the rest of the receiver room.

Expectations for the Jets’ defense and offensive lines are high entering 2025, but the pass-catchers have struggled mightily in practice. It’s part of the reason Justin Fields has yet to garner any real rhythm in camp, and why some see the offense’s upside as capped.

But that didn’t stop the 29-year-old from making a bold claim to the media — if you want to call it that.

“This is probably the most talented receiving group I’ve been a part of in my eight years, top to bottom,” Lazard told SNY's Connor Hughes after Tuesday’s practice.

Allen Lazard's comments about the Jets' WR room are... interesting

It’s a pretty wild statement from a player who amassed just 311 receiving yards and one touchdown last season. And let’s not forget the 2024 Jets’ receiving room was headlined by both Davante Adams and Garrett Wilson, two receivers who have nine 1,000-yard seasons between them. They both eclipsed that threshold in 2024.

So for the Iowa State product to suggest that this current group — with the recently-paid Wilson, Josh Reynolds, Tyler Johnson, Malachi Corley, Xavier Gipson, and fourth-round rookie Arian Smith — is the best group he’s been around?

That is pretty asinine, even if you include additional pass-catching options like Breece Hall and Mason Taylor. That's especially true when you consider that the receiving room is arguably the weakest area of this roster.

The core issue is that outside of Wilson, this group is mostly made up of fringe contributors, developmental prospects, and journeymen trying to catch on.

Though Reynolds is familiar with Tanner Engstrand’s system from his time in Detroit, he and Johnson combined for less than 350 receiving yards in 2024. Johnson, a star at Minnesota, is set to join his fourth NFL team, while Reynolds is going on his sixth destination.

Arian Smith has impressed in practice, but he has yet to record an NFL snap, and Corley, touted for his YAC potential coming out of Western Kentucky, is reportedly a cut candidate as well.

If anything, his comment might just reflect a player trying to speak confidence into a unit that has more questions than answers heading into the season.

None of this is to say the unit can’t surprise. There’s always a chance someone clicks. But when he’s played with better wideouts both in Green Bay and New York, it feels like his words come with a large dose of revisionist history.

Nobody’s going to fault the guy for talking up his teammates —that’s part of the job. But let’s see if he can back it up when it matters most… if he’s still on the roster come Week 1.

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