Josh Allen wasn’t happy at the end of last season.
In a campaign in which his greatest rival, Patrick Mahomes, was watching from home with a torn ACL, Allen and the Bills seemingly had a clear road to Super Bowl LX.
No Mahomes. No Kansas City Chiefs. No Lamar Jackson. No Joe Burrow.
But in a nailbiter against the Denver Broncos, Allen wasn’t at his best, and he had to watch as Drake Maye, a sophomore QB, made it to the championship game before him.
While Allen is under contract for six more years after signing a mega extension in 2025, none of that matters if a star player changes their mind on where they want to play.
Allen is happy in Buffalo, but he wants to contend and win the first Lombardi Trophy for the Bills in their franchise History. To do that, they need to invest more in the roster around Allen.
The Bills’ brain trust already accomplished that on Allen’s side of the ball, getting him a dependable wideout in DJ Moore in a trade with the Chicago Bears.
Yet, if they really wanted to establish themselves as the favorite to beat in the AFC, finding an ace on defense could take them over the top.
On Tuesday, per Bills beat reporter Ryan Talbot, Buffalo reached out to the big defensive fish of this NFL free agency period: defensive end Trey Hendrickson.
Two years ago, Hendrickson led the league in sacks on a below-average Cincinnati Bengals defense. Although he took a step back last year, recording only four sacks, he is the type of game-breaking defender who could elevate everyone around him on the Bills’ defensive line.
Although the Bills would need to clear some space and possibly reconstruct numerous contracts to fit what would be a mammoth contract for Hendrickson, it would be the big swing the Bills need in their promise to Allen to compete for a ring as soon as possible.
With the New England Patriots trying to piece together their lost dynasty, the Bills can’t be complacent. If they don’t make moves now to bolster their defense, it might not matter how good Allen performs on his side of the ball.
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