What happened to Allen Lazard? Jets’ injury worries worsen with WR going down during OTAs
Allen Lazard joined the New York Jets during the free agency period of the 2023 NFL offseason. He previously spent his entire career with the Green Bay Packers but switched teams to essentially remain with Aaron Rodgers. He joined the list of former Packers who are now Jets, including wide receiver Randall Cobb and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
As a part of his preparation for the upcoming 2023 NFL season, Allen Lazard has been attending the Jets OTAs. While participating in one of the wide receivers' drills during their sessions on May 23rd, he apparently suffered an injury. He was reportedly down on the field and surrounded by trainers who were checking on his status.
Allen Lazard was down on the ground with trainers around him but he just walked off the field.
While the news was initially alarming, it appears that Lazard averted serious harm. He not only got up and walked off the pitch on his own, but he apparently returned to exercise just a few minutes later. He continued to participate in 7v7 drills and practice as he typically would have before the supposed injury.
While no official report was released as to what exactly happened to Allen Lazard, it appears to be extremely minor. It's possible he just had the wind knocked out of him or some other insignificant short-term concern. It's a great sign that he continued to participate in the activities, unlike Aaron Rodgers, who potentially suffered an injury of his own.
What happened to Aaron Rodgers at OTAs?
While Allen Lazard appears to have avoided any sort of serious injury, the same can't be said for Aaron Rodgers quite yet. He was spotted off to the side of the team drills during OTAs apparently favoring one of his ankles and appearing to be slightly limping. Worryingly, he did not engage in any of the drills, instead largely standing on the sideline as a spectator.
Aaron Rodgers off to the side, favoring his ankle, checking it. Something clearly not right. https://t.co/LGaxwVVCdI
Rodgers reportedly joined the offensive players on the field when they did some of their drills, but he didn't participate, nor did he even put his helmet on. He pretty clearly shut it down for at least the rest of the OTA session while dealing with some sort of ankle or lower leg injury. While the Jets received an encouraging update on Allen Lazard as he rejoined practice, Aaron Rodgers' status moving forward will definitely be something to monitor closely.