If you are waiting for the Jets to trade wide receiver Allen Lazard to the Pittsburgh Steelers to reunite with former Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, you may have to wait a while.

Rodgers signed a one-year deal with the Steelers on Thursday, paving the way for him to be their starting quarterback. Having played together for five seasons with the Green Bay Packers and another two with the Jets, Lazard earned the trust of Rodgers on the field, and Rodgers could have lobbied to have him join the Steelers.

However, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio spoke to someone who said Lazard may use this season as a chance to show his success is not dependent on Rodgers.

“Per a source with knowledge of Lazard’s thinking, he sees a very real potential benefit to proving his ability to function at an acceptable level without Rodgers as his quarterback,” Florio said. “With the Jets planning a run-heavy offense under new coach Aaron Glenn (and new quarterback Justin Fields), there’s a premium on receiver blocking. At 6 feet, 5 inches and 225 pounds, Lazard fits that role perfectly.”

In early May, Florio said that Lazard was “in play” as a potential player who could be traded to the Steelers because of his relationship with Rodgers.

“Why Lazard? Because Rodgers completely and totally trusts him,” Florio said. “Lazard, for whatever reason, performs much better with Rodgers than he does without him. At one point during his first year in New York, during Rodgers’ season-long injury absence, Lazard became a healthy scratch.”

The Steelers still have D.K. Metcalf on the roster. Metcalf was traded to the Steelers in a deal with the Seattle Seahawks.

Lazard signed a four-year, $44 million contract with the Jets in 2023 — $22 million of which was guaranteed — to reunite with the Rodgers. However, his production has not matched his contract. In 2023, he caught 23 passes for 311 yards and one touchdown in 12 games. He showed only slight improvement in 2024, finishing with 37 catches for 530 yards and six touchdowns.

Lazard agreed to a reworked contract for 2025, with Over The Cap reporting that he will count $4.6 million against the salary cap and retain only $1.75 million in guarantees — a reduction of $8.5 million. He will look to have success with Justin Fields as the Jets’ new starting quarterback.

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Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com.