When the Green Bay Packers host the New York Jets in the teams’ preseason opener on Saturday evening, there will be several members of the Jets organization who are familiar with their destination. From a few University of Wisconsin alumni to former Packers players to individuals who have been frequent opponents of the team, there are Wisconsin connections galore on this Jets team.
Let’s take a look at those individuals who have significant experience playing for or against the Packers, as well as a few former Badgers on the roster.
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Allen Lazard, WR
The most obvious connection to the Packers is the player on the Jets’ roster who has played multiple seasons for the Packers. That player is wide receiver Allen Lazard, whom the Packers signed off the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad in late 2018. Lazard played 57 regular season games for the Packers over the next four-plus seasons, accruing 229 receptions, 2,236 receiving yards, and 20 touchdowns while wearing green and gold. Lazard added 11 catches for 200 yards and a score in five playoff games and was an efficiency superstar when serving as a complement to Davante Adams in 2020 and 2021.
Lazard signed with the Jets during the 2023 offseason, inking a 4-year, $44 million contract. In two seasons with the Jets, Lazard has 60 catches, 84 yards, and seven scores. This offseason, he agreed to a significant pay cut to stay with the team and will see his contract expire after this season.
Andrew Beck, FB
The other former Packer on the Jets’ roster, Beck signed to the Packers’ practice squad at the start of the 2024 regular season. He earned three elevations to the gameday roster during the month of October, but was later released and eventually signed with the Houston Texans, the team who released him at final cuts. The Jets signed him to a futures contract in February and he is a candidate to make the team as a versatile fullback/tight end.
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Josh Myers, C
Yes, we almost forgot about Myers, the Packers’ former starting center over the past four seasons. He signed a one-year deal with New York this offseason, getting a fully guaranteed $2 million in compensation with the potential for additional incentives. However, he is currently slated to back up another player with Wisconsin ties.
Chris Banjo, ST coordinator
Packers fans should remember this name, as Banjo was a reserve safety and a special teams ace for the Packers from 2013 to 2016. Banjo only started two games on defense, but he was a constant presence on teams, playing a whopping 74% of the Packers’ special teams snaps during the 2015 campaign. The Packers released him on an injury settlement midway through the 2016 season, but he went on to play seven games for the Saints later that year and remained a core special teamer for the Saints and Cardinals through the end of the 2022 season.
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Banjo immediately became a special teams assistant for the Denver Broncos upon his retirement from playing, and 2025 will be his first year as a special teams coordinator.
Joe Tippman, C
Now that we’re done with former Packers players, we’re on to former Wisconsin Badgers on the Jets’ roster, and that list begins with Tippman, a second-round draft pick in 2023. He started every game for the Jets at the pivot last season and 14 games as a rookie, following two years as the Badgers’ starting center.
Braelon Allen, RB
Another former Badger, Allen is a Wisconsin native, hailing from Fond du Lac. Allen was a 4th-round draft pick in 2024 and as a rookie served as a change-of-pace back to starter Breece Hall. He accrued 334 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 92 carries last season, adding 148 receiving yards and another score on 19 receptions out of the backfield, all before his 21st birthday.
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Aaron Glenn, head coach
The Jets’ new head coach is no stranger to the Packers, as he spent the last four years as the defensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions. In those four years, the Lions went 6-2 against the Packers and held the Packers to under 21 points on four occasions, including three of the four meetings at Lambeau Field.