The Jaguars are making sure Josh Allen is part of their long-term plans. Jacksonville and its star pass rusher reached a a five-year, $150 million deal, CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones confirms. The contract includes $88 million guaranteed, per ESPN. Allen is now the third-highest paid defensive player on a per-year basis per OverTheCap.com.
"I'm very emotional right now," Allen said at his press conference on Wednesday. "The job is not done yet. That's what I want to tell the fan base. I'm extremely blessed and honored to get this paycheck, these checks, but I have to, I still set goals for myself."
The deal averages Allen receiving $30 million a year, putting him behind San Francisco 49ers, defensive lineman Nick Bosa ($34 million) and Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones ($31.75 million) among defensive players. The Jaguars tagged Allen ahead of free agency and they now have a deal, which was negotiated by WME Sports, per ESPN.
Last season, Allen set a Jaguars franchise record with 17.5 sacks. His performance in 2023 gave him his second Pro Bowl nomination, while proving why the Jaguars should commit to him for the future. The 26-year-old has 45 career sacks, 251 tackles, eight pass deflections and one defensive touchdown. The Jaguars selected Allen with the No. 7 overall pick in 2019. Allen's next career goals after signing a top of the market contract are quite lofty, but he feels he has the talent and drive to each them.
"Defensive Player of the Year is my next goal. Winning a Super Bowl, being the MVP of it. I told you I'm a legacy guy," Allen said. "Like I told myself a long time ago ... I got to win a Super Bowl and be the MVP. I'm not going to stop until I get that. That's motivating me. That's bigger than money. For me if I could do that and bring the first one [Super Bowl] to Jacksonville, I would be extremely ... and be MVP, that's my goal."
This offseason, the Jaguars have been busy, finalizing deals with linebacker Foye Oluokun and guard Ezra Cleveland and signing free agents defensive lineman Arik Armstead, wide receiver Gabe Davis, safety Darnell Savage and wide receiver Devin Duvernay.
