Buffalo, New York Josh Allen, the quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, received a call at 3:45 a.m. on Friday from his agent informing him
that negotiations were nearly concluded for a contract extension that would have made him one of the highest-paid players in NFL history.
After negotiating on the final conditions of the contract since 10 p.m., Allen’s agents and Bills General Manager Brandon Beane and his
front office had finally made enough headway to formally include Allen in the process.
Allen told his parents, brother, and girlfriend about the news on Friday morning at 10 a.m., even though he had practice; going back to bed could wait.
“As you can imagine, it was pretty hard to sleep after that,” stated he.
The Bills and Allen reached a six-year contract deal, which was disclosed by the team on Friday. Sources tell ESPN’s Adam Schefter that
the agreement has a $258 million maximum value, with $150 million of that amount guaranteed.
The $150 million in guaranteed money is the largest amount in a single NFL contract ever, exceeding the $141.5 million guaranteed in
Patrick Mahomes’ agreement with the Kansas City Chiefs, according to analysis by ESPN Stats & Information. Mahomes’s $45 million
average yearly worth is greater than Allen’s $43 million.
As a formality, Allen, the No. 7 selection in 2018, had his fifth-year option picked up in May; both parties had previously said that they wanted a long-term contract.
Though not quite as long as Mahomes’ 10-year pact, Allen’s contract was carefully selected with the Bills’ long-term success in mind.
“I think the way that we structured the deal was obviously a chance for both sides to get a fair deal and feel like they won,” Allen stated.
“I’m not narcissistic about how the money is distributed, where it has to go, or how much it is; I’m just willing to stay here for eight more
years and let us kind of rearrange things to keep some bits here.
Beane told The Associated Press on Monday that the two parties had decided to either put off the negotiations until the following year or
set a deadline of the first week of the regular season for negotiating the contract.
Although Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson are still in negotiations with the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens, respectively,
Allen’s contract with the Bills comes as no rush to make Allen the first quarterback in the 2018 class to sign an extension, according to Beane.
“I wasn’t too concerned about those men. There are, after all, a variety of approaches and frameworks,” stated Beane. Josh and I had an
impromptu discussion about closing a transaction last year, and he wanted to be sure he could accomplish it.
After finishing second in the MVP voting in 2020, Allen was granted an extension. His throwing yards (4,544) and passing touchdowns
(37) established team records. He also guided the Bills to their first division title since 1995 and the AFC Championship Game.
Between 2019 and 2020, he showed notable growth, going from 58.8% to 69.2% in completion percentage and from 85.3 to 107.2 in
passer rating. Allen received his first Pro Bowl selection as well.
No one inside the building was surprised by his quick ascent to the top of the NFL quarterback rankings, despite the amazement of fans
and experts around the league. Head coach Sean McDermott claimed Allen didn’t deserve a long-term deal, while Beane claimed he
understood “very early on” that Allen was
