Bills Agree To Record-Setting Extension With Josh Allen
MARCH 11: The contract includes $147MM fully guaranteed, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. This does not rival Watson’s $230MM number — one achieved under historically unusual circumstances — but it does eclipse every other player’s full guarantee figure. Classifying this as a $90MM raise, Breer adds Allen will see $220MM over the next four years.
MARCH 9: Josh Allen completed an MVP season but had seen his contract drop outside the top 10 at quarterback. That is no longer the case. As the Bills finish a stream of extensions, they have reached a new deal with Allen.
Despite four seasons remaining on Allen’s $43MM-per-year extension, the Bills are doing right by their superstar. Allen agreed to a six-year, $330MM contract, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Allen will see a whopping $250MM guaranteed. While that may not be the full guarantee, the overall total tops Deshaun Watson for the most ever guaranteed to an NFL player.
This does not add six more years to Allen’s term length, as NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero classifies this as a top-up deal. The contract will, however, add two more years — and an astonishing $200MM — to Allen’s overall outlay.
The new number settling in at $330MM over the next six seasons, Allen will be tied to $55MM per year. The guarantee figure is more important here, and it will be interesting to see if the Bills actually topped the Browns’ Watson windfall in terms of full guarantees. But Allen is obviously not going anywhere. His Hall of Fame course will be charted in Buffalo.
Allen’s AAV does not exceed Dak Prescott‘s NFL-record $60MM number, but it does check in on the second-place tier Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence and Jordan Love populate. Allen already earned $174MM through seven seasons, rising from raw super-prospect to arguably the NFL’s best active quarterback. Allen certainly does not have Patrick Mahomes‘ resume, but he has outplayed the Chiefs megastar over the past two seasons. This has not resulted in the Bills conquering the Chiefs in the playoffs, as they are now 0-4 against their rivals in January, but Buffalo is certainly betting that is on tap.
Prescott also landed his monster Cowboys re-up thanks to extraordinary leverage stemming from no-trade and no-tag clauses, and Dallas also faced a steep void years penalty if it did not pay its quarterback. That deal occurred hours before the team’s Week 1 game; the Bills are checking this off their to-do list years in advance. Allen, however, had slipped to 14th in QB AAV. The Bills had one of the best bargains in football, even with Allen at $43MM per annum, and it will be interesting to see how the massive adjustment changes their numbers moving forward.
Allen, 28, is coming off his best season, reaching that perch despite the Bills trading Stefon Diggs last April. Allen also played through a left hand fracture last season. Three times a top-five MVP finisher previously, Allen won the award after dragging a Bills team believed to be retooling — after moving on from several starters — to a 13-4 record and a third straight AFC No. 2 seed.
Allen sported a 28-6 TD-INT ratio and added 531 rushing yards and 12 scores. The do-it-all QB did not beat out Lamar Jackson‘s statistically superior season for first-team All-Pro honors but edged him for MVP, as voters either recognized the Bills having fewer All-Pros compared to the Ravens and/or punished Jackson for previous playoff shortcomings. The Bills defeated the Ravens in the divisional round this year, making Allen 2-0 against the two-time MVP in the playoffs. Matters have not gone as well against Allen’s other top rival, however.
A contract update was on the radar for Allen, though this is a bit more than a mere update. It both adds years and considerable guarantees to his deal. Allen joins Mahomes and Lawrence as being the only current NFLers signed into the 2030s. Mahomes, who received a reworking after his second Super Bowl MVP award in 2023, is still signed through 2031 on a Chiefs-friendly deal. Allen was the only QB to follow Mahomes’ lead and help his team in term length, as no other passers since have signed for more than five years. Allen adding two years to his deal will help the Bills, should they choose to keep restructuring it. The Chiefs have gone to this well with Mahomes three times and will likely keep doing so.
The Bills traded up twice to land Allen in the 2018 draft, and by 2020, the No. 7 overall pick had become one of the league’s best QBs. Allen’s carry workload probably needs to be a bigger talking point, as he has taken plenty of hits during his career on run plays. The Wyoming alum has already compiled 759 carries to go with 112 more in the playoffs. A controversial call on an Allen QB sneak helped sink the Bills in their latest Chiefs matchup, and Kansas City’s latest playoff win keeps bringing the Buffalo timeline into focus.
While the big-bodied QB’s run-game skills may run the risk of seeing his prime end early, the Bills have him at his absolute best right now. They are also loading up their roster to keep a new core intact. Buffalo has extended Khalil Shakir, Terrel Bernard and Gregory Rousseau over the past two weeks. Future Allen restructures will help the Bills afford those payments, though none of the performers received top-market money. James Cook might, and he is certainly pushing for it. Cook is Allen’s top skill-position weapon now, but the Bills are betting on their QB playing long enough he will thrive with another wave of skill players down the road.
The franchise will hope an elusive Super Bowl, perhaps more than one, emerges during this contract. The team must keep contending with an AFC gauntlet that features Mahomes, Jackson and Burrow. As Allen keeps proving he is squarely on that tier, the Bills no longer will need to worry about his contract for the foreseeable future.
Bills To Sign LB Michael Hoecht
The Bills have agreed to sign free agent linebacker Michael Hoecht, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Hoecht, who had spent his entire career with the Rams after signing with the club as a UDFA in 2020, will move across the country to continue his career.
He is also getting a nice payday, especially considering his undrafted status. According to Pelissero, Buffalo has authorized a three-year deal for the Ivy Leaguer, a deal that can max out at $24MM.
Now 27, Hoecht spent the entirety of his rookie campaign on the Rams’ taxi squad, finally getting his first taste of regular season action in 2021. By 2022, he had established himself as a regular part of Los Angeles’ defensive rotation, and he was also shifted from defensive tackle to outside linebacker to take advantage of his unique athleticism. The 6-4, 267-pound defender has frequently been asked to drop into coverage and has even lined up at slot corner from time to time.
In 2023, Hoecht became a full-time starter, starting all 17 of the Rams’ regular season games and their lone playoff contest, racking up an 85% snap share and a career-high six sacks. Pro Football Focus did not think highly of his work that season, however, grading him as the 90th-best edge defender out of 112 qualifiers. Perhaps realizing that the Brown product was better suited to a complementary role, the Rams cut his snap share to 57% in 2024 (although he did appear in all 17 games again).
The Bills, who have been busy extending their own players (including several core defenders), did release Von Miller yesterday and could use additional depth on the edge. Hoecht will provide that while also offering some schematic versatility (as detailed by The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue back in November (subscription required)).
Bills To Sign WR Josh Palmer
One of the youngest receivers on the market has quickly managed to find a new home. Josh Palmer has a three-year, $36MM deal in place with the Bills, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
The Bills will pair the former Chargers supporting-caster with the recently extended Khalil Shakir and 2024 second-round pick Keon Coleman. This looks to be Buffalo’s top trio for 2025, but the team still has Curtis Samuel under contract and gave Mack Hollins plenty of snaps last season. Still, it appears Amari Cooper‘s Bills tenure will be limited to barely a half-season.
While a Giants-Palmer connection (via ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan) emerged just before the legal tampering period, the Bills are spending notable cash to bring in a player who had fallen out of favor with the Bolts. Palmer’s name came up in trade rumors before the 2024 deadline, as the Bolts had reduced his workload. Then again, Jim Harbaugh’s arrival cut down on Charger pass volume as a whole. Only Ladd McConkey stood out among the Chargers’ pass catchers in the accomplished HC’s first season back in the NFL.
Palmer is only 25, however, and he flashed as a replacement during Keenan Allen and Mike Williams injury spells. Williams’ September 2023 ACL tear brought Palmer into the role of WR2. He totaled 581 receiving yards that year and averaged 15.8 per catch, finishing off that season with the overmatched Easton Stick in as the Bolts’ starter (after Justin Herbert‘s thumb surgery). Palmer managed this in just 10 games, having needed an IR stint that year. In 2022, a season Allen missed nearly half of due to a nagging hamstring ailment, Palmer posted a career-high 769 receiving yards on 72 receptions.
Also supplying extensive experience out wide and in the slot, Palmer brings a versatile skillset to Buffalo. The Bills’ offense already runs through a slot receiver, as the team just gave Shakir a deal eclipsing $13MM per year. Buffalo used an egalitarian setup at WR last season, with Josh Allen spreading the ball around during a stretch that undoubtedly hurt Cooper’s free agency value. While Cooper was still viewed as in play to stay in Buffalo, Palmer — who snuck into our top 50 free agents list this year — will play with the reigning MVP in his prime.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Bills To Release DE Von Miller
Shortly after securing their future at the pass rushing position, the Bills are moving on from a veteran at the same position. According to a joint report from NFL Network reporters Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, Buffalo is releasing pass rusher Von Miller. It’s a cost-cutting move as the Bills take advantage of a potential out built into the 35-year-old’s contract. 
Miller was three years into a six-year, $120MM extension, but a potential out was built in after the third year of the deal. At this point in the contract, Miller had no remaining guarantees, and the Bills are able to cut him with $15.42MM of dead money and $8.4MM in cap savings. If the team were to have designated him as a post-June 1 release, they could’ve lessened the dead money to $6.37MM, increasing the cap savings to $17.44MM, but Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reports that this is just a regular, pre-June 1 release.
Though, Miller is set to turn 36 before the next regular season starts, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports that Miller “plans to play” in 2025 for his 15th year of NFL football. While multiple reports have claimed that both Buffalo and Miller are open to a reunion on a cheaper deal, Miller will have the option to explore opportunities with other contending teams now that he has been released. Miller would be in pursuit of his third Super Bowl victory.
Miller is one of the most accomplished pass rushers in NFL history. Since sacks became an official stat in 1982, Miller ranks 16th all-time with 129.5. Just eight more sacks would put him in the top 10. With three teams, he’s been a three-time first-team All-Pro, a four-time second-team All-Pro, and an eight-time Pro Bowler. He also won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2011 as the No. 2 overall pick out of Texas A&M and was a Super Bowl MVP.
It’s been a long time since many of those accolades occurred, though. In fact, they all came during his 11-year tenure in Denver. After sitting out the entire 2020 season with injury, Miller was traded midseason to the Rams, with whom he won his second Super Bowl. He hasn’t reached double-digit sacks since 2018, and he only has six total over the past two years in Buffalo, with all six coming this past season.
With that six-sack season, he was able to display that he still has the talent to be a situational pass rusher in the NFL, but he’ll likely need to lower his expectations on compensation. Miller was due to earn $17.5MM in cash this season with Buffalo, $20MM in 2026, and $30MM in 2027. With the numbers he’s put up in recent years, combined with his age and injury history, wherever Miller goes, he won’t be sniffing that kind of money.
If he truly wants to land with a contender, there are certainly options. In the AFC, the Chiefs are perennial title favorites. He could always return to Buffalo on a more favorable deal or head to the AFC North and visit the Ravens or Bengals. In the NFC, the Eagles and Lions have been powers in the last few years, and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post pointed out an intriguing connection with the Commanders. Washington’s general manager, Adam Peters, was serving as a national scout in Denver when the Broncos drafted Miller.
While he may not fetch a stellar price, Miller should have plenty of options to return to the field in 2025. His potential as a pass rusher should be enough, but the expertise he brings to the game can help mold younger, developing pass rushers, as well. While the pass rushing success of young players in Buffalo like Gregory Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa can’t be fully attributed to Miller, his presence surely didn’t hurt.
Miller joins a crowded free agent position group, though. Teams looking to grab an impact pass rusher will likely go after the likes of Josh Sweat, Khalil Mack, Malcolm Koonce, Chase Young, Haason Reddick, DeMarcus Lawrence, and others before coming to him.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/8/25
Saturday’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Re-signed: LS Reid Ferguson
New York Giants
- Re-signed: TE Chris Manhertz
Ferguson’s new pact is four years in length, per a team announcement. The eight-year veteran has spent his entire career with the Bills, and his Buffalo tenure will continue for the foreseeable future. Ferguson, 30, has only missed one game to date. His most recent pacts have averaged between $1.08MM and $1.33MM per year, and that will no doubt be the range for this latest one.
Darren Waller‘s retirement created an opening at the tight end spot for the Giants. Manhertz did not operate as a key pass-catcher, but the veteran served as a blocker as he has at other spots during his career. After playing in a rotational capacity on offense and chipping in on special teams, the 32-year-old will be counted on to handle a similar workload in 2025.
Bills Extend DE Gregory Rousseau
The Bills are checking several items off their to-do list before free agency. After extending Khalil Shakir and Terrel Bernard, they have a deal in place with Gregory Rousseau.
Buffalo’s top pass rusher agreed to terms on a four-year, $80MM extension Saturday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Rousseau will see $54MM guaranteed. The Bills have announced the extension. This will keep a cornerstone piece in Buffalo through 2029, which coincides with the timelines Shakir and Bernard’s contracts created. Rousseau was going into his fifth-year option season.
Although the Bills looked to have Von Miller humming as their top pass rusher during his 2022 season, the future Hall of Famer’s Thanksgiving ACL tear changed the equation. Miller has not closely resembled his pre-tear form, but Rousseau coming along gave the Bills vital support during that period. With Miller’s future in Buffalo uncertain, Rousseau is staying on what could be a team-friendly deal.
Rousseau’s $20MM AAV checks in 13th among edge rushers. His $54MM total guarantee comes in ninth. While Rousseau has yet to make a Pro Bowl roster or post a 10-sack year, he is only going into his age-25 season. The Miami product is likely only coming into his prime. It is quite possible the Bills will generate considerable value on this pact, which was agreed to after another cap spike ($24MM).
In terms of rate as his position, Bernard has fared the best among the three early Bills extension recipients. James Cook is asking for a high-end running back contract, and Christian Benford will command an upper-crust CB salary. But Rousseau and Shakir did not approach the top tier at their respective positions.
Rousseau matched his career high with eight sacks last season but established a new personal standard with 24 QB hits and 16 tackles for loss. Even as Miller returned to usable form, after a woeful 2023, Rousseau remained the Bills’ D-end anchor. The team still has A.J. Epenesa signed as well and has been mentioned as a Myles Garrett suitor (in the event the Browns relent on their no-trade stance), but this extension shows faith in Rousseau.
The Bills now have both their cornerstone D-linemen on what look like favorable contracts. They inked Ed Oliver to an extension in 2023; the former first-rounder’s deal now checks in 17th among D-tackles. Rousseau opted to avoid a contract year and potential 2026 franchise tag by taking a $20MM-per-year deal now. That might not have been the best value play, but it will ensure he is a long-term Buffalo cog. The $54MM guarantee is not anything to scoff at, either.
FA Notes: Bucs, Mack, Dolphins, Holland, Panthers, Titans, Giants, Bills, Falcons
The Buccaneers did not see their Joe Tryon-Shoyinka first-round pick pay off, and the 2021 draftee is close to hitting free agency. As the Bucs prepares a pass-rushing plan for 2025, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler connects Khalil Mack to the team. Also mentioning the Bears (a previously noted Mack suitor), Fowler notes the Bucs are looking for pass-rushing help. The team has YaYa Diaby under contract for two more seasons, but it has struggled to find a complementary piece since Shaquil Barrett began to decline post-Achilles surgery. Anthony Nelson, who posted four sacks last season, is nearing free agency as well.
While the Bucs have D-line regulars Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey, they will need to look for a second OLB starter. Mack rebounded from an injury-marred 2021 season by starting all but one game in three Chargers years. He soared to 17.5 sacks in 2023 but saw his usage rate drop and his sack total along with it (to six) in 2024. Mack, however, has been a durable player and one of this era’s best edge rushers. Although he considered retirement this offseason, the Chargers want him back. The 34-year-old’s market will be interesting.
Here is the latest from the free agent market:
- A player who will command more in total than Mack, Jevon Holland is likely this year’s top safety available. PFR’s No. 6 free agent, Holland escaped the franchise tag deadline and may be poised to follow Robert Hunt and Christian Wilkins out of Miami. The Panthers and Titans are expected to show interest in the four-year Dolphins starter, NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe notes. Holland’s market is likely to stretch past $15MM per year and could reach $20MM AAV, Wolfe adds. Antoine Winfield Jr. is the highest-paid safety, at $21MM per annum; no one else has reached $20MM. The Dolphins are still interested, but the former second-rounder will carry a robust market. If Holland leaves, the Dolphins would need two new safety starters; Jordan Poyer is not expected back, per Wolfe.
- The Giants are bracing to lose Azeez Ojulari in free agency, the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy writes. Considering their investments in Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, it has looked for months like Ojulari would depart. Despite an extensive injury history, Ojulari has been productive when available. He registered 22 sacks on his rookie deal, including six last season as he filled in for an injured Thibodeaux. After holding onto Ojulari at the deadline, the Giants would only recoup a compensatory pick — depending on the team’s FA activity — once he leaves.
- The Falcons finished 31st in sacks last season, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter notes they are doing heavy research on defense in the draft. This comes after Atlanta’s effort to trade back into Round 1 for a defender, after the surprising Michael Penix Jr. pick, failed. As the team changes DCs for a third straight year, Fowler adds it is expected to also pursue defensive upgrades in free agency. The Falcons are expected to let Matt Judon hit the market, and Ledbetter adds fellow OLB Lorenzo Carter is also likely to hit free agency. A pass-rushing overhaul, as Grady Jarrett may be on the trade block, may be afoot in Atlanta.
- Count the Panthers as a team also readying to bolster its defense in free agency, Fowler adds. Carolina fell from fourth in total defense to 32nd last season, and while they are again retaining DC Ejiro Evero, the DC should have more to work with in 2025. After Carolina traded Burns and did not do much to replace him, it is safe to expect a pass-rushing pursuit to commence. Safety Xavier Woods will be among the Panthers who will test the market next week, The Athletic’s Joe Person tweets. He will join kicker Eddy Pineiro in doing so.
- Preston Smith has lingered in free agency for a bit, after his Steelers release, but Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline notes the Bills are believed to have interest. Although Smith (4.5 sacks last season) signed two healthy Packers contracts, it will not take too much to land the 32-year-old EDGE after he disappointed as a Steelers deadline addition.
Bills, LB Terrel Bernard Agree To Extension
Another major piece of business has been taken care of by the Bills in the lead-in to free agency. Terrel Bernard is the latest in-house player on the team to land a lucrative new deal. 
The third-year linebacker and the Bills have agreed to terms on a four-year extension, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo report. The pact – which is now official – is worth $50MM and includes $25.2MM in guarantees. Bernard is now under contract through 2029.
Selected in the third round of the 2022 draft, Bernard was used sparingly on defense during his rookie season while handling a regular role on special teams. Over the past two campaigns, however, he has been a full-time starter and a key figure in Buffalo’s front seven. In 2023, the Baylor product broke out with 143 tackles, 6.5 sacks and three interceptions.
Bernard was unable to match that production this past campaign, one in which he was limited to 13 games. Buffalo was hit hard by injuries at the linebacker spot for much of the season, but when in the lineup the 25-year-old was invaluable. Bernard reached triple digits in tackles once again, adding another pair of interceptions and a fumble recovery along the way. As one of several impactful members of Buffalo’s 2022 draft class, he represented a prime extension candidate this offseason.
Now, an agreement has been reached before the start of free agency. The $12.5MM annual average value of Bernard’s deal places him in a tie for sixth at the position, slightly below the AAV of Matt Milano‘s pact. Questions have been raised about the latter’s future based on the absence of guarantees in the final two years of his contract and his missed time due to injuries in recent seasons. Whereas the Bills have allowed high-end linebackers depart in free agency in the recent past (like Tremaine Edmunds), the team has worked early on this occasion to keep an ascending contributor in place for the foreseeable future.
Buffalo’s 2025 offseason has also, of course, included an extension for wideout Khalil Shakir. Two key members of the team’s 2022 draft class are now on the books for years to come, and more work on that front could be coming. Running back James Cook is angling for a new deal which will move him near the top of the position’s market, while corner Christian Benford is also eligible for a payday.
The Bills entered Friday as one of five teams in the NFL currently over the 2025 cap ceiling. Further cost-shedding moves – like yesterday’s release of punter Sam Martin – will be needed as a result to achieve compliance and free up funds for outside additions. Buffalo’s attention can increasingly turn in that direction now that Bernard’s long-term future has been worked out.
Bills Release P Sam Martin
Sam Martin‘s time with the Bills has come to an end. The veteran punter was released on Thursday, per a team announcement. 
One year remained on Martin’s contract, but none of his $1.89MM in scheduled compensation for 2025 was guaranteed. Buffalo will save that amount in cap space while generating just $400K in dead money and avoiding a $500K roster bonus which was due shortly after the start of the new league year. Martin, 35, will immediately be free to join a new team.
Over the course of his 12-year career, Martin has spent time with three teams. His first seven campaigns came in Detroit and saw relatively steady production. The former fifth-rounder then punted for the Broncos over a three-year stretch, but he was not retained once his pact expired. The 2022 offseason – in which Matt Araiza was drafted and subsequently released by the Bills – opened the door for another new opportunity.
Martin inked a one-year Buffalo deal that offseason, and his 47.7 yards per punt average was the second-highest mark of his career. It thus came as little surprise when he remained in place the following spring on a three-year pact. After playing out only two campaigns on that deal, though, the Appalachian State product is no longer in the fold.
Buffalo signed Jake Camarda to a reserve deal in January, and as a result of today’s move he is the only punter in the organization. The Bills could certainly look to add competition this offseason, while Martin will attempt to catch on with a new team over the coming days.
C Mitch Morse Retires
Mitch Morse‘s career has come to an end after 10 seasons in the NFL. The veteran center announced his retirement on Thursday. 
“The things I’ll cherish most about my career are the relationships and bonds I created with my teammates, both on and off of the field,” Morse wrote. “Nothing can replace that, and I will miss it dearly.”
A Chiefs second-round pick in 2015, Morse took on immediate starting duties upon arrival in Kansas City. That remained the case throughout his four-year tenure with the team, one which was marked in 2017 and ’18 by missed time due to injury. During his first trip to free agency, Morse inked a four-year deal with the Bills.
That pact allowed the Missouri product to continue operating as a key figure up front. Morse was a mainstay along the Bills’ O-line during his time with the team, and he earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2022. A two-year deal was worked out in the wake of that success, but Morse only played one more year in Buffalo. Last offseason, he was one of several veterans the team released as part of its efforts to reset from a financial perspective.
Morse drew interest on the market, and he did not need to wait long to find a new home. The Jaguars signed him to a two-year pact, and in his debut campaign in Jacksonville Morse started all 17 games. $1.5MM in guarantees remained on his pact for the 2025 season, but he will walk away from that money to begin his post-playing days. Over the Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald notes this decision will save the Jags $2.2MM (presuming it is processed immediately).
Morse made a combined 156 appearances between the regular and postseason during his career; he started all of them. Thanks in large part to his Bills contracts, his career earnings stand at just over $65MM.