Aaron Rodgers is known for extending his influence far beyond the quarterback position. The veteran QB is actively involved in managing the team, and that’s what he did at Green Bay as well.
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He saw wide receiver Allen Lazard during the 2019 season at the Green Bay Packers’ training camp and made a case for Lazard to be allowed to show his talent. Once Lazard made it back to the practice squad, Rodgers pushed the coaches hard to get him on the field, and the WR eventually became one of Rodgers’ go-to receivers. But before any of that could happen, the Packers had actually waived Lazard.
“Allen Lazard got cut, like in 2019. It was crazy,” Rodgers said on Not Just Football With Cam Heyward. “First of all, he’s our 3rd-best receiver, and he gets cut, and then he gets raised up on the active like in week one because he’s going to play cuz the guy they kept over him can’t even play special teams… He’s a great example of it.
“There’s always been, like, big surprises in cutdown day, just some really terrible decisions over the years that I was a part of. But I don’t feel like there was a ton of surprises this year because you just know how they look at the roster.”
Allen Lazard was an undrafted free agent who signed to the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad in September 2018. However, a few months later, in December, the Green Bay Packers came in and signed Lazard. He played just one game in the 2018 season in garbage time.
The 2019 season started, and Lazard was waived during the final roster cut by the Packers. At that time, Aaron Rodgers was the franchise quarterback who led the Packers to Super Bowl XLV triumph and seemed quite stunned by the front office’s decision to release Lazard.
However, just three days later, the Packers promoted him back to the active roster. And Lazard went on to have a breakout 2019 season (at that time), where he racked up 477 receiving yards and 3 TDs in 16 regular-season games. With that performance, he laid the foundation to eventually establish himself as Rodgers’ primary No. 2 wide receiver.
And as time passed, Rodgers and Lazard grew quite close to each other as teammates.
“During my time with Aaron in Green Bay, he really put his arm around me,” Lazard said in 2023. “He is a big reason why I’m here today. I can’t deny that he stood up on a table for me during training came when I probably didn’t deserve to make the roster, at least in the front office’s eyes.
“He called for me to be in the game and he has relied on me in heavy-pressure situations and has always believed in me. As a wide receiver, the best relationship you can have is with the quarterback and the relationship I’ve had with him has been phenomenal.”
Since Allen Lazard’s brief Packers exit, seven seasons have passed. He continued playing for Green Bay till the 2022 season as its wide receiver. Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers moved away from the Packers and joined the New York Jets in 2023, where Lazard also began his second stint.
However, after the 2025 season, while Lazard becomes an unrestricted free agent, Rodgers will be entering his final NFL season as the QB1 for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
