Why Jets $44 Million Man Missed Week 1 Vs. Steelers
The New York Jets' wide receiver room wasn't at full strength when they took on the Pittsburgh Steelers this past weekend.
When the Jets announced their inactive players ahead of the showdown, one name that stood out was wide receiver Allen Lazard. He was one of the five announced inactive players from the team.
Lazard missed time throughout camp as he dealt with a right shoulder injury. While this is the case, he wasn't listed on the team's injury report last week so it seemed like he would be good to go. That's why there was some chatter on social media afterward.
But, there's no crazy story behind Lazard being inactive. Jets head coach Aaron Glenn was asked about Lazard's absence and attributed it to the time missed in camp and how he wants to make sure Lazard is fully up to speed.
The New York Jets had a somewhat surprising omission on Sunday
"Lazard missed, what, two weeks of training camp?” Glenn said as transcribed by Heavy.com's Jordan Foote. “We wanted to make sure that he was up to speed on everything we were doing. We’ll see how that goes this week.”
There you have it. There's no salacious story. No trade rumors or other things of that nature, although some had some wild and unfounded speculation about the possibility after it was announced that Lazard wouldn't go on Sunday.
There has been chatter about Lazard for the last few months. It didn't seem likely that he would return as an exodus took place throughout the franchise. He signed a four-year, $44 million deal in New York. The Jets didn't cut ties with him despite the trade rumors. In fact, Lazard restructured his deal in order to stick around with the Jets. The Jets will return to the field on Sunday, Sept. 14th against the Buffalo Bills. If Lazard has another healthy week of practice, it wouldn't be shocking to see him out there. If you scroll and see trade chatter about Lazard, it's safe to keep scrolling, at least right now.
Broncos avoid disaster after superstar is taken to an ambulance during scary moment at joint practice with the Cardinals
During the Denver Broncos' joint practice with the Arizona Cardinals, injuries reared their ugly head. Superstar Nik Bonitto was unavailable while still dealing with a foot injury sustained during the blowout win against the San Francisco 49ers, and Garrett Bolles needed to be looked at inside an ambulance. A rather unsettling situation for Broncos fans.
Luckily, everything appears to be okay with the latest update from head coach Sean Payton regarding Bolles' health issue. As Payton shared, Bolles is "going to be fine" and had "some asthma, breathing (issues)."
After spending some time being looked at, he left the ambulance and was seen walking to the Broncos facility with trainers.
Bonitto unavailable despite Payton's comments
On Wednesday, Payton confirmed that Bonitto's injury was related to his foot. While offering that "he's (Bonitto) going to be alright." The head coach added, "I anticipate him practicing tomorrow and this week. He should be in good shape." Less than 24 hours after his comments, Bonitto was once again unavailable for practice. The team is right to be cautious and let him heal fully. It's the preseason, and if one showing was any indication, Bonitto is ready to set the league on fire.
In December of 2023, Bolles and the Broncos agreed to terms on a massive contract extension that keeps him in Denver through 2028. When asked about what it meant to him, Bolles offered that it was a "dream come true" and that he was grateful to be a "Bronco for life." It's not hard to see why the fans fell in love with the superstar; he bleeds orange and blue.
The front office has fortified the offensive line and built one of the best units across the entire NFL. Bolles has been a large part of that success.
For Bo Nix to take that important next step, a chunk of it falls on his offensive line protecting him up front. For the defense to be successful, having Bonitto on the field is just as important. There are high hopes for this Denver team heading into the 2025 season, and both of these men play instrumental roles for the team's long-term goals. Crisis averted.
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