Talk about a marvelous, trusting and productive partnership between player and club. That sums up the Buffalo Bills and quarterback Josh Allen.
Allen had four years left on his contract, and the Bills essentially said Sunday night: “We don’t care, it’s time for a new deal. Somebody plug in the paper shredder!”
And Allen, who could have pushed to explode the quarterback salary scale and pass Dak Prescott’s $60 million average salary, essentially said: “I don’t want to play anywhere else, and I’ll take a little less to give you team-building flexibility. Sign me up!”
Bills Ravens NFL Playoff Football (copy)
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen rushes for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in the Bills' AFC divisional round win in January. Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
Boom. The Bills and Allen agreed to terms on a new six-year, $330 contract ($55 million average) that includes an NFL-record $250 million guaranteed, according to ESPN. They tossed the four remaining years on his deal averaging $43 million into the trash bin.
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Allen is worth every penny. Quarterbacks like him are why pro football is the king of North American professional sports.
There is nothing better for a sports team when the best player and upper management are aligned.
Allen believes in the Bills.
The Bills believe in Allen.
Peyton Manning went from Denver to Indianapolis and Tom Brady from New England to Tampa Bay. Matthew Stafford (Detroit to the Los Angeles Rams), Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay to New York Jets), Russell Wilson (Seattle to Denver) all switched teams. In some cases, animosity reigned because of money and team direction and injury.
Never say never in the NFL, but that won’t happen with Allen and the Bills. Not after this contract.
Allen is basically the Brady for the 2020s with this contract. Brady annually took below his market value to keep the Patriots competitive and he led them to six Super Bowls.
Allen moved up the salary chart, and the Bills won’t have to take a sledgehammer to their roster as a result. They can continue re-signing their draft picks, take the occasional big swing in the free agency and trade markets and avoid pushing money into the future with void years that eventually cripple a team’s building effort.
This contract is a reward for what Allen has done for the Bills since they drafted him in 2018, but also a reward for future performance as he continues in his prime, highlighted by the MVP award in 2024 and a second AFC championship game appearance.
Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills reach record-setting extension
On Sunday, the Bills and quarterback Josh Allen reached an agreement on a new deal with the league's reigning MVP to keep Allen in Buffalo through 2030. The finances, first reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN, are a six-year, $330 million contract that includes $250 million, the largest guarantee ever to an NFL player.
Smart business by Bills owner Terry Pegula and general manager Brandon Beane. They are keeping their franchise player happy ahead of moving into their new stadium in 2026.
And smart business by Allen. The last thing a veteran quarterback wants to do is continually churn through young (and inexpensive) players and veterans who are trying to hang on. If a player on the roster performs above expectation and earns a new contract, the Bills won’t have to cut financial corners.
The Bills-Allen relationship is only matched by the affection this region has for Allen. You can’t drive a few blocks in this region without seeing an Allen flag, an Allen No. 17 jersey, an Allen sign or even an Allen mural. Western New York loves Allen, and he feels the same way.
NFL teams spend most of their hours plotting ways to reach quarterback stability, and the Bills will not have to for 13 consecutive years – unheard of in an era when even Peyton Manning and Tom Brady switched teams. It just doesn’t happen anymore, and now the league has Allen and his chief rival, Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes.
The contract moves Allen from tied for 14th in average quarterback salary ($43 million) up to a tie for second with Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow, Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence and Green Bay’s Jordan Love. San Francisco’s Brock Purdy may join them this offseason.
Allen was underpaid, and the Bills fixed that. Who knows how long he will remain tied for second in average salary or first in guaranteed money, but that doesn’t matter. Allen will be the Bills' quarterback until at least his age-34 season.
In an offseason in which the Bills rewarded receiver Khalil Shakir, linebacker Terrel Bernard and defensive end Greg Rousseau with lucrative second contracts, giving Allen a new deal continues the internal momentum.
Allen has his new contract. He has his MVP award. He should have the influence to make personnel suggestions. Now it’s time to go get what he doesn’t have – a Super Bowl title.
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