NFL News: Josh Allen cashes in a big contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars By Grant Winsauer
This past Wednesday, Adam Schefter reported that edge rusher Josh Allen agreed to terms with the Jacksonville Jaguars on a five-year, $150 million deal.
The Jaguars were smart to keep Allen around, especially after the season he just had. Allen had 17.5 sacks this past year with the Jaguars, so he is well worth the contract they gave him. According to ESPN.com, Allen has played 74 games in his short five-year career in the NFL. He has 251 total tackles, with 162 being solo tackles and 89 being aided tackles. So far, he has 45 sacks during his career, which means he’s averaged nine each year in the league.
At just 26, Allen can make a lasting impact on the Jaguars. If he can maintain his current level of performance, he could secure another significant contract. However, it remains to be seen how the team's salary cap situation and Allen's performance will evolve over the next few years.
By the time this contract is over, he will be 31, and it remains to be seen how long he will stay with the Jaguars. Usually, when a player gets given a contract like this, the team eventually goes into salary cap hell. The players with the largest contracts usually get moved.
If he can stay productive, I believe teams will give him a contract. In five years, I think a good contract base would be what the Texans gave Danielle Hunter this offseason. According to nfl.com, Hunter was given a two-year, $49 million contract with $48 million guaranteed. Now, it’s important to know that that is a long way away for Allen, and he’s just entering his prime, so he’s going to be exciting to watch for the next few years.
I was very surprised that it took the Jaguars so long to sign him to a long-term deal. Allen just came off his best season as a pro, and I thought the Jaguars would give him whatever he wanted. But in the end, it worked out for both parties. Allen gets his big payday, and the Jaguars keep a vital piece of their defensive line and don’t have to worry about him balling out anywhere else.
It will be interesting to see how the Jaguars' opponents plan to stop Allen this upcoming season. After he had 17.5 sacks this past season, they will need an extra-big game plan to cover him.
Jaguars fans should be happy that he is returning to Jacksonville because I am really excited to see how this upcoming season goes for him.