Jacksonville is keeping its two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher in Duval County for the long haul.
The Jaguars have agreed to a five-year, $150 million deal with Josh Allen which will make the pass rusher one of the highest-paid players at his position, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday, per a source. Rapoport adds that the new contract includes $88 million guaranteed, per a source.
The Jaguars later officially announced the pact.
“I’m grateful to the Jaguars organization for putting their faith in me once again," Allen said in a statement on Wednesday. "Five years ago, as a first-round pick and again today, they’ve shown that they believe in my talent and value my contributions to this team. I’m prepared to make good on their investment and do whatever it takes to bring a championship to Jacksonville. Thank you to my wife, Kaitlyn, and my kids Wesley, Julian and Vanessa for supporting me on this journey. It’s always been my goal to leave a legacy wherever I go, and I’m proud that work continues in Duval.”
The extension replaces Allen's one-year franchise tag contract, which was set to pay him just a little more than $24 million in 2024.
Allen is coming off his second Pro Bowl trip in five NFL seasons, having posted a career-best 17.5 sacks to go along with 66 tackles, two forced fumbles and his second career interception. It was his best showing over a full season in his career, continuing to steadily ascend into the elite tier of those tasked with hunting quarterbacks.
Jacksonville is paying him accordingly, making sure to allocate future cap space to keep its best defender, who has 45 sacks to his name in half a decade of pro ball.
It's been a tumultuous offseason for Jacksonville, which the Jaguars began by picking up the pieces from their late-season collapse that saw them miss the playoffs. Jacksonville started the annual roster turnover period by using the tag to keep Allen under team control while buying additional time to work on a long-term extension. Shortly thereafter, though, the Jaguars were surprised when Calvin Ridley -- whom most everyone believed was only waiting to re-sign with Jacksonville after the start of the new league year in order to save it on retroactive compensation due to Atlanta -- decided to join the division-rival Titans in free agency, stunning folks in Florida and beyond.
Such a move didn't leave the Jaguars entirely empty handed, as they'd already agreed to a deal with former Bills receiver Gabe Davis. But it might have influenced the Jaguars to ensure their top-tier talent doesn't get a chance to test the market.
They've done just that with Allen's extension.