Steelers Interested in Aaron Rodgers Former WR

The Pittsburgh Steelers now need a dependable outside receiver to play opposite DK Metcalf after trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys.

There's numerous veteran options available, though one player whose name is bound to be thrown around quite a bit is Allen Lazard of the New York Jets.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio acknowledged that he is a potential Steelers target given his connection to Aaron Rodgers, who is widely expected to sign with the team at some stage.

"Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Jets receiver Allen Lazard is 'in play' to be traded to the Steelers," Florio wrote.

"Why Lazard? Because Rodgers completely and totally trusts him. And Lazard for whatever reason, performs much better with Rodgers than he does without him."

Lazard has stuck around in New York thus far amidst a regime change unlike his former Green Bay Packers teammates in Rodgers and Davante Adams, though that may change in the near future.

The 29-year-old agreed to a reworked contract this offseason that lowered his base salary to $2.25 million for the 2025 campaign and voided the final year of his original four-year, $44 million contract that he signed as a free agent in March 2023.

As a result, the Jets will incur a dead cap charge of $4.368 million in 2026 while lowering his cap hit to $4.610 million in 2025, per Over the Cap.

If New York were to trade Lazard with a post-June 1 designation, it would save $2.426 million while being saddled with $2.184 million in dead money.

Lazard first joined forces with Rodgers in Green Bay during 2018 after beginning his career as an undrafted free agent with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

After posting a total of 2,236 yards and 20 touchdowns on 169 catches in 57 games, he joined the Jets on his current pact before Rodgers was officially traded to the team.

Lazard had a down 2023 after Rodgers tore his Achilles in the season opener, logging 311 yards and a touchdown on 23 catches, though he bounced back for 530 yards and six scores over 37 receptions with the four-time MVP back on the field this past year.

An experienced receiver who has a ton of chemistry with Rodgers, Lazard is a logical replacement for Pickens who wouldn't require the Steelers to part with much draft capital.