NFL Rumors: Jets’ Allen Lazard placed on IR with pectoral injury, out at least four games | News, scores, highlights, stats and rumors

New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard will miss at least four games after being placed on injured reserve with a pectoral injury, NFL Network reports Ian Rapoport reported.

Lazard was already sidelined following last Sunday’s Week 8 loss to the New England Patriots, and will now miss Thursday night’s Week 9 game against the Houston Texans.

Given the Jets’ bye in Week 12, the earliest he could return would be December 8 for a Week 14 game against the Miami Dolphins.

The veteran wideout had made 30 catches for 412 yards and a team-high five receiving touchdowns through seven games. Davante Adams will likely get more targets from Aaron Rodgers in his absence.

Adams, acquired from the Las Vegas Raiders before Week 7, has totaled seven catches for 84 yards thus far and has yet to record a receiving touchdown in two games as a Jet.

His production has dipped in part due to Rodgers struggling with a 2.5 percent interception rate, putting him on pace for the most turnovers of his career.

With Lazard injured, Rodgers and Adams will have to continue to work on their chemistry while continuing to build on the previous bond they built as teammates with the Green Bay Packers.

Lazard’s absence means Mike Williams could also see an uptick in usage after making just one catch for 15 yards in the Jets’ last three games.

Williams played a bigger role for the Jets earlier this season, when he caught 10 passes for 145 yards as the No. 3 pick behind Garrett Wilson and Lazard. He could now fill a similar role behind Wilson and Adams.

Lazard is in his second season with the Jets after spending the first five years of his career with the Green Bay Packers. He didn’t practice heading into Week 8 and did so again inactive approaching week 9.

The Jets fell to 2-6 on the season after last Sunday’s loss to the Patriots, leaving them at the bottom of the AFC East. The team will lean on Wilson and Adams while relying on Breece Hall to run the offense on the ground as they look to salvage their playoff hopes and break a five-game losing streak with a win over the Texans.