Josh Allen (QB)

Bills Could Adjust QB Josh Allen’s Contract In Offseason

January 19th, 2025 at 10:16am CST by Rory Parks

Bills QB Josh Allen will square off against Ravens QB Lamar Jackson in a highly-anticipated divisional round matchup today. This offseason, Allen may receive a bump that puts his pay more in line with his Baltimore counterpart and his other peers in the top tier of the league’s signal-callers.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link), Buffalo could offer Allen a contractual adjustment in the coming months, which sounds as if it would take the form of a raise. The Bills restructured their franchise passer’s deal last March – a standard maneuver that converted salary to signing bonus for cap purposes – though Allen subsequently said he was not looking for an increase in pay.

That is despite the fact that the six-year, $258MM deal Allen signed in 2021 is looking more and more like a team-friendly accord. Not only is Allen under club control through 2028 – he is the only non-Patrick Mahomes passer to have signed for more than five years since the Chiefs icon’s pact was finalized – but his $43MM AAV currently ranks 14th in the league’s QB hierarchy, behind a number of less-accomplished players like Trevor Lawrence and Jordan Love, among others. His $100MM in total guarantees is now outside the top-10.

On the other hand, Allen’s cap charge increases from just over $30MM in 2024 to over $43MM in 2025, and then it spikes to a perhaps untenable ~$64MM in 2026. Some sort of reworking could serve the dual purpose of smoothing out those cap hits while bringing Allen closer to the top of the market.

And he has certainly earned it. While it remains to be seen whether the Wyoming product will land the first MVP award of his career for his 2024 efforts, his consistently excellent play has transformed the Bills from one of the AFC’s doormats to a conference powerhouse.

Since Allen entered the league in 2018, he has piloted Buffalo to a 76-34 regular season record, and the team has reached at least the divisional round of the playoffs in each of the past five years. Like Jackson, his fellow 2018 draftee, the lone knock on Allen is the fact that his club has not yet secured a conference championship, a shortcoming that one of those players will be able to address next week.

In 2024, Allen compiled his lowest passing TDs (28) and passing yards (3,731) totals since 2020, but he led the league in QBR (77.5) and was eighth in traditional quarterback rating (101.4), largely because he was much more careful with the football. He threw just six interceptions – compared to 18 picks in 2023 – and fumbled just five times (the lowest mark of his career). He remained an invaluable asset in the running game, racking up 531 rushing yards (on a 5.2 yards-per-carry average) and 12 rushing scores. That production was in spite of the fact that Allen played through a fractured non-throwing hand for most of the season.

As Rapoport notes, Allen has a great relationship with the Bills, and a revised deal benefiting both parties makes plenty of sense.

Community Tailgate: NFL MVP Race

January 11th, 2025 at 10:49pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2023 NFL season yielded a dearth of clear-cut MVP candidates, but that has not proven to be the case this year. Several players made a claim to receive consideration at various points in the campaign, and debate has continued through the conclusion of the season regarding which one will ultimately take home the award at NFL Honors.

As usual, quarterbacks have dominated the discussion. Eagles running back Saquon Barkley led the way for other positions in 2024, a year in which he became the NFL’s ninth ever 2,000-yard rusher. Especially given the team’s decision to rest him in Week 18 (which prevented him from being able to attempt breaking Eric Dickerson’s all-time record), though, it is extremely unlikely the run of QBs receiving the MVP nod will end this year.

Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ passing attack gave the team a chance to rally from 4-8 into the postseason, and a wild-card berth was still possible entering the final day of the regular season. Cincinnati fell short of the No. 7 seed, however, effectively ending Burrow’s chances of receiving votes at the top of the MVP ballot. The likes of Jared Goff (Lions) and Sam Darnold (Vikings) are likely to be popular names on the lower end of many MVP voters’ final five-player lists, but as far as most observers are considered the race for the award is down to two contenders.

Lamar Jackson has served as the Ravens’ full-time starter for six seasons. Twice in his previous five – including two of the past three where he has remained healthy through the full campaign – he has collected the Most Valuable Player award. That includes a unanimous nod in 2019 as well last year’s award, for which the only other first-place vote went to Josh Allen. Unsurprisingly, the Bills star once again finds himself as the other candidate to receive the honor this year.

Baltimore and Buffalo both saw several notable changes this past offseason, although continuity at a number of spots and with respect to the team’s offensive coordinators was also present. In the case of both division-winning teams, the play of their quarterbacks was the driving force of their overall success, and any number of angles can be taken when arguing in favor of Jackson or Allen. While the latter sat out the closing minutes of several blowouts this year and only logged one snap in Week 18, both passers offered a strong sample size for MVP evaluation.

Jackson and the Ravens needed a win in Week 18 to clinch the AFC North in part due to their 0-2 start to the year. At the end of the campaign in particular, though, the team’s offense showed signs of improvement with Jackson’s increased passing efficiency on full display. In all, the Louisville product finished with career highs in yards (4,172) and touchdowns (41) through the air coupled with four interceptions. No quarterback in league history has recorded more than 40 passing TDs while also managing fewer than five interceptions.

With those totals in mind, it comes as no surprise Jackson’s passer rating for the season (119.6) also checked in at a career high. That figure not only led the league, but it was the fourth-highest single-season total in NFL history. As usual, Jackson was also impactful in the run game; his 915 rushing yards topped the field amongst quarterbacks while his 6.6 yards per attempt average led the NFL. Shortly put, the raw statistics in most categories point toward a third MVP award.

Allen’s performance is highly impressive on many fronts as well, however. Transitioning to a new receiving corps in the offseason (and, in the case of Amari Cooper, midway through the campaign), he led the Bills to a comfortable AFC East title en route to the conference’s No. 2 seed. A pair of Buffalo’s 13 wins in particular understandably drew major attention around the league. The Bills are responsible for the Chiefs’ only regular season loss in which they played their full lineup as well as one of the Lions’ two defeats. Especially with the latter victory coming in Detroit, it helped Allen’s MVP case and highlighted his stellar campaign.

With 28 passing touchdowns and 12 rushing scores (second most in the league amongst QBs), Allen repeated an unprecedented feat in terms of prolific scoring through the air and on the ground in the same season. While ball security has been the source of criticism in past seasons, he committed only eight in 2024. The Wyoming product’s 14 sacks taken were also by far the fewest of his career. Coupling those numbers with individual moments like his fourth-and-2 touchdown run against Kansas City and the play in which he threw and caught the same TD pass against San Francisco make it easy to foresee Allen’s first MVP nod being a distinct possibility.

The Bills and Ravens met head-to-head in Week 4, with Baltimore earning a comfortable victory. Overall, Jackson’s numbers in games against playoff-caliber opponents outweigh Allen’s, although on the other hand the fact Buffalo finished with a superior record in what was viewed as a transitional year may balance the scales on that front. In any case, the 28-year-old draft classmates have each enjoyed the primes of their careers, and both signal-callers’ résumé’s have been significantly bolstered by the 2024 campaign.

There is precedent for the MVP award to be shared, as that has proven to be the case on two occasions (Brett Favre and Barry Sanders in 1997; Peyton Manning and Steve McNair in 2003). Unless that situation emerges again, though, voters will be met with a Jackson-or-Allen decision. Regarding AP first-team All-Pro nods, Jackson wound up with a 30-18 edge over Allen in terms of votes. That is generally an indication of how the MVP competition will shake out; indeed, as ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg notes, every quarterback named first-team All-Pro since 2013 has also taken home MVP honors.

With all ballots submitted and the countdown on until NFL Honors, how do you see the MVP race ending? Have your say in the comments below.

Bills’ Josh Allen Played Through Fractured Non-Throwing Hand For Most Of 2024

December 23rd, 2024 at 8:59am CST by Adam La Rose

Prior to the Bills’ win over the Patriots on Sunday, details emerged on an injury Josh Allen had been playing through for most of the campaign. The MVP favorite’s left (i.e. non-throwing) hand had been fractured until recently, although the ailment did not affect his level of play.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports Allen suffered the injury in Week 1, and he appeared on subsequent injury reports for several weeks as a result. The 28-year-old remained on Buffalo’s injury reports past the team’s Week 12 bye, but he did not miss any game action as a result of the ailment. By the time the Bills took on the Patriots Sunday, the fracture had healed.

Clarifying the nature of Allen’s injury is notable since many quarterbacks miss at least some game action with hand injuries (even when the non-throwing hand is the one affected). The two-time Pro Bowler has led an offense which ranks second in the NFL in points and seventh in yardage, posting top-10 averages through the air and on the ground. Doing so has put him squarely in contention to win his first career MVP award, and having had much of his success at less than full health could help his chances of winning the award.

Allen’s left hand injury is now behind him, but during yesterday’s game he took a hard hit to his right arm. He managed to remain in the game but said afterwards he had “no feeling” in his right hand for a period after the hit. Allen delivered less of a statistical output than he has in many other games this season, but it was sufficient (along with the Bills’ performance on defense) to pull out a win. His status over the coming days will be worth monitoring, but given his ability to remain in the lineup so far this year, missed time would come as a surprise in Allen’s case.

The Bills’ win kept them in contention to land the AFC’s No. 1 seed. With games remaining against the Jets and Patriots to close out the campaign, a 14-3 record is feasible considering Buffalo’s head-to-head advantage over Kansas City. Regardless of how the race for the first-round bye shakes out, Allen’s ability to maintain his level of play through the remainder of the campaign into the postseason will be a key storyline.

Josh Allen Not Seeking Contract Update

August 21st, 2024 at 8:46am CST by Sam Robinson

Since Patrick Mahomes signed a 10-year extension during the 2020 offseason, the quarterback market has skyrocketed. However, despite QBs now commanding well contracts well past the $50MM-per-year place, none of the other early- and mid-2020s extension recipients have followed the three-time Super Bowl champion in terms of contract length. Though, one of Mahomes’ top rivals has come closest.

Josh Allen signed a six-year, $258MM extension in summer 2021. The superstar Bills QB is the only non-Mahomes passer to have signed for more than five years since the Chiefs icon’s pact was finalized. The market has caught up with Allen, who was the NFL’s second-highest-paid passer when he signed the deal. He has since dropped to No. 13 on that list, with a Dak Prescott extension poised to further move the Buffalo franchise centerpiece down.

The Bills still have Allen signed through the 2028 season; his six-year re-up covers eight seasons in total due to the new years beginning after the dual threat’s fifth-year option season. Although less accomplished passers have since inked better contracts, the Bills do not yet have to worry about their starter forcing the issue.

“Listen, everyone’s going to have their day. I’m happy that everyone’s getting what they’re worth, right?” Allen said, via WIVB’s Jonah Bronstein. “And I think that as the game progresses and guys keep getting paid, the market is the market. I’ve got no problem with where I’m at right now. I had my day a couple years ago, and I’m sure someday I’ll have it again.”

This offseason brought four updates to the NFL’s expanding $50MM-per-year club. Jared Goff, Tua Tagovailoa, Trevor Lawrence and Jordan Love each inked extensions worth between $53MM and $55MM per year. This came after the record-setting $30.6MM cap spike. Allen signed his deal during an offseason in which the cap decreased — due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on 2020 attendance — for just the second time. The other prominent passer from Allen’s draft class, Lamar Jackson, waited until 2023 to sign a new deal. Jackson’s $51MM-per-year deal effectively started the $50MM-AAV group, even though Aaron Rodgers — on a contract soon reworked — technically reached that point first.

Mahomes, who is still signed through 2031, is not part of the $50MM-per-year contingent. But the Chiefs adjusted the two-time MVP’s contract following last year’s round of QB extensions. The Chiefs moved money around in Mahomes’ contract, which now includes guarantees through the 2025 season. Allen’s contract features a fully guaranteed 2025 base salary ($14MM), but this is a situation to monitor.

Like Jackson, Allen may see his run-game usage impact his career longevity. Only Jackson and Cam Newton have logged more carries through six seasons among QBs than Allen, who has totaled 657. Although the Wyoming alum is only 28, it will be interesting to see if this component brings he and the team together on an adjustment in the not-too-distant future.

While Allen’s contract does not provide any leverage, he can certainly bring the Bills to the table at just about any point due to his importance to the team. For now, however, the Bills have arguably the biggest bargain — among non-rookie deals — in the NFL.

Bills Notes: Allen, Edwards, Hines

June 22nd, 2024 at 10:04am CST by Ben Levine

Josh Allen dealt with a shoulder injury for much of the 2023 campaign, and it took him until recently to get over the pain. The Bills quarterback told reporters (including ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg) that while his shoulder injury improved throughout last season, it remained bothersome until a few weeks ago. Allen didn’t have to undergo surgery on his shoulder.

Allen didn’t miss a game after suffering the shoulder injury in Week 6, but the issue still had a major impact on his play. As Getzenberg notes, the QB was forced to change his mechanics in order to protect his injury, and he’s spent this offseason “improving his throwing motion” to get back to his old ways. Allen has specifically been working with movement analysis company Biometrik, and the QB now has the ability to map his movements and identify any inefficiencies.

“[The injuries change] how you throw it just a little bit because your body is shielding itself from pain,” Allen said of his injury and offseason approach. “So, making sure that I’m just kind of getting back to how I’m supposed to throw and what my body is capable of doing. And sometimes it takes a little longer, sometimes it doesn’t. So again, just trusting what the data [is] saying right now and just trying to feel it above all else.”

Despite dealing with the injury for much of the 2023 campaign, Allen still finished fifth in MVP voting. The QB finished the season with a career-high 15 rushing touchdowns, although his touchdown percentage (5.0) and interception percentage (3.1) represented some of his worst marks since his first two seasons in the league.

More notes out of Buffalo…

The Bills added safety Mike Edwards this offseason, but the veteran was unavailable for OTAs. While Edwards was in attendance for mandatory minicamp, he admitted to reporters that he’s still limited by his shoulder issue. “I’m not doing everything, just doing like individuals,” Edwards told WGR 550 radio (h/t SI.com). “Not so much where I want to be at, but it’s a step in the right direction.” The Bills will be counting on Edwards to lead their safeties corps with Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde no longer around.
Nyheim Hines‘ 2023 season ended before it even began, as the running back suffered a torn ACL and MCL in an offseason jet ski accident. His placement on the non-football injury list meant the Bills weren’t required to pay him for the 2023 campaign, although ESPN’s Marc Raimondi notes that the RB ultimately earned $3.98MM from Buffalo last season. Hines was cut by the Bills this offseason before catching on with the Browns.
The Bills have hired Santino Parlato as a Football Research Assistant, per ESPN’s Seth Walder. The team’s newest front office member previously worked as an analyst at Morgan Stanley.

AFC East Notes: Allen, Bills, Coleman, Staff, Washington, Jets, Patriots, Slater, Dolphins

May 12th, 2024 at 10:46am CST by Sam Robinson

Having traded Stefon Diggs weeks after letting Gabe Davis walk in free agency, the Bills are facing questions about their receiving corps. The team’s top offseason investment at the position — No. 33 overall pick Keon Coleman — encouraged Josh Allen. Bills GM Brandon Beane said during a Sirius XM Radio appearance he had Allen join coaches in watching some film of receiver prospects. Coleman was among the candidates the superstar passer preferred, expressing his approval after being informed on Day 2 of the draft the Bills would go with the Florida State wideout. Although Coleman did not produce an 800-yard receiving season with the Seminoles, the Bills look set to count on the 6-foot-4 pass catcher as they remake their receiving corps.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

The Jets have moved on from one of the better-known members of their coaching staff. Leon Washington, who had been in place as assistant special teams coach in each of Robert Saleh‘s three seasons, did not see his contract renewed for the 2024 season, per the New York Post’s Brian Costello. This marked the former Jets kick returner/running back’s first full-time coaching gig, after a run of fellowships since his playing career ended after the 2014 season. A Jets contributor from 2006-09, Washington earned All-Pro honors in 2008. Earlier this offseason, the Jets lost special teams assistant Michael Ghobrial to the Giants. Dan Shamash, who helps advise Saleh in terms of game management, is now listed as an ST assistant for the team. Brant Boyer remains in place as the team’s ST coordinator.
Rome Odunze may well have been the Jets’ preference at No. 10, but after the Bears went with the Washington wideout at 9, the team was set on Penn State tackle Olu Fashanu. The Jets were also high on Washington tackle Troy Fautanu, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, but the team carried some long-term durability concerns about the Pac-12 blocker. Two other tackles — Taliese Fuaga (Saints) and Amarius Mims (Bengals) — went off the board before Fautanu, who slid to the Steelers at No. 20. Some teams flagged Fautanu’s knee as a medical concern, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. It appears the Jets were one of them.
Odell Beckham Jr.‘s Dolphins contract includes a void year, which will drop his cap number by a bit. The new Miami WR3 will count $2.1MM on the team’s 2024 cap, per OverTheCap. Beckham signed a one-year, $3MM deal with the Dolphins; the team will take on a $900K dead money charge in 2025 if OBJ is not re-signed by the 2025 league year.
The Bills have either decided on their defensive play-caller, only to not reveal the choice publicly, or they are still in the process of determining who will call the signals come September. Sean McDermott said (via the Buffalo News’ Jay Skurski) he is delaying this decision until at least training camp. McDermott called plays last season, with the Bills having moved on from longtime defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, but the Bills now have a DC again in Bobby Babich. The Bills have been a top-five defense in each of the past three seasons, though their units — as key injuries hit in each season — have struggled in the playoffs.
Matthew Slater‘s immediate transition to coaching will come in a full-time role, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss. The perennial Pro Bowl special-teamer is working as a “right-hand man” to Jerod Mayo, with Reiss noting the new Patriots HC is receiving input from his former teammate regarding team-building and character development. Slater, 38, spent 16 seasons with the Patriots, coming into the league in the same 2008 draft class Mayo did.
Staying with that 2008 draft class, one of its members recently landed a scouting gig. The Dolphins hired Beau Bell as a pro scout, according to InsidetheLeague.com’s Neil Stratton. A 2008 fourth-round Browns draftee, Bell only played five NFL games. He will make the move to a full-time role after receiving an apprentice opportunity with the Rams and serving as GM of the Arena Football League’s Philadelphia Soul.

NFL Restructures: Mahomes, Chiefs, Allen, Bills, Broncos, Browns, Martin, Cowboys

March 15th, 2024 at 6:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Completing a Marquise Brown signing after franchise-tagging L’Jarius Sneed, the Chiefs were able to find room due to once again taking advantage of Patrick Mahomes‘ unique contract. Kansas City created $21.6MM in cap space by restructuring the three-time Super Bowl MVP’s contract, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. The Chiefs have gone to this well twice before, making the move in 2021 and 2023 to create cap room. The team reworked Mahomes’ deal in September 2023, following the QB market moving well beyond the Missouri-based superstar’s $45MM AAV, by moving guaranteed money around. But the extension still runs through 2031, giving the team room to maneuver here. Even with the Sneed tag on the books — ahead of a potential trade — the Chiefs hold more than $15MM in cap space as of Friday afternoon.

Here is the latest on the restructure front:

After the Bills made a few high-profile cuts last week, they restructured their centerpiece player’s deal this week. Buffalo created $16.7MM in cap space by restructuring Josh Allen‘s deal, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. This merely moved Allen’s 2024 cap charge down to $30.4MM. No void years are on Allen’s $43MM-per-year extension, but monster cap numbers in 2026 and ’27 ($63.9MM, $56.9MM) will need to be addressed. Allen’s deal runs through 2028. The Bills also adjusted Dawson Knox‘s contract to create cap space, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
The Broncos may be preparing to take the bigger Russell Wilson dead money hit this year as opposed to in 2025. Though, the final number has not yet emerged. The team has created considerable cap space as of late, releasing Justin Simmons and trading Jerry Jeudy. The Broncos also restructured the contracts of 2023 UFA pickups Zach Allen and Ben Powers, per Yates, creating nearly $20MM in cap room.
The Cowboys reorganized Zack Martin‘s deal recently, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer, who indicates the move created roughly $13MM in cap space. To end Martin’s holdout last year, Dallas provided considerable guarantees over the final two years of the All-Pro guard’s six-year deal. That contract now features four void years. If the Cowboys do not extend Martin before the 2025 league year, they would be staring at a $24.5MM dead money blow.
Jedrick Wills will check in here, even though he is not on a veteran contract. The Browns restructured their left tackle’s fifth-year option, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. The move created more than $10MM in cap space. Cleveland tacked four void years onto Wills’ deal. If the team does not re-sign him before the 2025 league year, it incurs an $11.8MM dead money bill. The Browns also turned to Jerry Jeudy‘s fifth-year option, which the team recently acquired from the Broncos, to create more than $10MM in space, Yates adds. The team likely used the same void years-based structure with the wide receiver’s option.

Largest 2023 Cap Hits: Offense

July 11th, 2023 at 3:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL’s salary cap once again ballooned by more than $10MM, rising from its $208.2MM perch to $224.8MM. Factoring in the pandemic-induced 2021 regression, the NFL’s salary risen has climbed by more than $42MM since 2021.

This has allowed teams more opportunities for roster additions and opened the door for more lucrative player deals — at most positions, at least. However, it does not look like this season will include a $40MM player cap number. The Browns avoided a record-shattering Deshaun Watson $54.9MM hit by restructuring the quarterback’s fully guaranteed contract, calling for monster figures from 2024-26.

Here are the largest cap hits for teams on the offensive side going into training camp:

Patrick Mahomes, QB (Chiefs): $39.69MM
Ryan Tannehill, QB (Titans): $36.6MM
Jared Goff, QB (Lions): $30.98MM
Jake Matthews, T (Falcons): $28.36MM
Trent Williams, T (49ers): $27.18MM
Dak Prescott, QB (Cowboys): $26.83MM
Laremy Tunsil, T (Texans): $26.61MM
Jimmy Garoppolo, QB (49ers): $23.8MM
Amari Cooper, WR (Browns): $23.78MM
Mike Evans, WR (Buccaneers): $23.69MM
Ronnie Stanley, T (Ravens): $23.67MM
Joe Thuney, G (Chiefs): $22.12MM
Russell Wilson, QB (Broncos): $22MM
Lamar Jackson, QB (Ravens): $22MM
Daniel Jones, QB (Giants): $21.75MM
David Bakhtiari, T (Packers): $21.29MM
Kirk Cousins, QB (Vikings): $20.25MM
D.J. Moore, WR (Bears): $20.17MM
Matthew Stafford, QB (Rams): $20MM
Brian O’Neill, T (Vikings): $19.66MM
Taylor Decker, T (Lions): $19.35MM
Deshaun Watson, QB (Browns): $19.1MM
Braden Smith, T (Colts): $19MM
Josh Allen, QB (Bills): $18.64MM
Courtland Sutton, WR (Broncos): $18.27MM

As should be expected, quarterbacks dominate this list. Mahomes’ number checks in here despite the Chiefs restructuring his 10-year, $450MM contract in March; the two-time MVP’s cap hit would have set an NFL record had Kansas City not reduced it. The Chiefs did not restructure Mahomes’ deal last year, but if they do not address it — perhaps via a complex reworking — before next season, Mahomes’ $46.93MM number would break an NFL record.

The Titans have not touched Tannehill’s contract this offseason, one that included some trade rumors months ago. This is the final year of Tannehill’s Tennessee extension. Mahomes and Tannehill sat atop this ranking in 2022.

Cousins is also heading into a contract year, after the Vikings opted for a restructure and not an extension this offseason. Cousins does not expect to discuss another Minnesota deal until 2024, when he is due for free agency. Two relatively low cap numbers have started Wilson’s $49MM-per-year extension. The Denver QB’s cap number rises to $35.4MM in 2024 and reaches historic heights ($55.4MM) by ’25. The subject of a Goff extension has come up, and it would bring down the Lions passer’s figure. But Goff remains tied to his Rams-constructed $33.5MM-per-year deal through 2024.

Jackson and Jones’ numbers will rise in the near future, with the latter’s contract calling for a quick spike in 2024. Next year, the Giants QB’s cap hit will be $45MM. Watson’s 2024 hit, as of now, would top that. The Browns signal-caller is on the team’s ’24 payroll at $63.98MM. Long-term consequences aside, the Browns can be expected to once again go to the restructure well with Watson’s outlier contract.

The Raiders did not backload Garoppolo’s three-year contract; it only climbs to $24.25MM on Las Vegas’ 2024 cap sheet. The Bills did backload Allen’s pact. Its team-friendly years are done after 2023; the six-year accord spikes to $47.1MM on Buffalo’s cap next year. The Cowboys have gone to the restructure well with Prescott. Like Watson, the Cowboys quarterback is tied to a seemingly untenable 2024 cap number. The March restructure resulted in Prescott’s 2024 number rising to $59.46MM. Two seasons remain on that $40MM-AAV extension.

Another notable cap hold that should be mentioned is Tom Brady‘s. When the Buccaneers did not sign the again-retired QB to another contract before the 2023 league year, his $35.1MM dead-money figure went onto Tampa Bay’s 2023 cap sheet. The Bucs will absorb that entire amount this year. Brady’s 2022 restructure, after retirement No. 1, led to the $35.1MM figure forming.

Were it not for another O-line-record extension, the Tunsil number would have come in at $35MM this year. Matthews signed an extension last year. Moore would have come in higher on this list were he still on the Panthers, who took on $14.6MM in dead money to move their top wideout for the No. 1 overall pick. Sutton came up regularly in trade rumors, with the Broncos wanting a second-round pick for the sixth-year veteran. The former second-rounder’s high base salary ($14MM) hinders his trade value.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Allen, Dolphins

April 5th, 2023 at 1:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets have been most closely linked to Odell Beckham Jr. this offseason, but like Aaron Rodgers, the talented wide receiver is not yet with the team. Beckham may well be waiting on the Rodgers trade to be finalized, though other teams — including the Ravens — have made offers. The Jets are interested at the right price, per the New York Post’s Brian Costello, who adds an OBJ signing likely means a Corey Davis release.

With the Jets adding Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman to the mix and continuing to pursue Beckham, Davis has hovered around the chopping block for weeks. The Jets can save $10.5MM by releasing the former top-five pick even if they do not designate him as a post-June 1 cut. If Beckham signs elsewhere, it would be interesting to see how the Jets navigate the Davis matter. The team has traded Elijah Moore, removing a potentially promising weapon from its receiver stable, and Hardman displayed inconsistency during his rookie-deal Chiefs years. Davis, however, has not topped 550 yards in a season as a Jet. His three-year, $37.5MM deal calls for an $11.6MM 2023 cap number.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

Georgia tackle Broderick Jones is visiting the Jets on Wednesday, and this high-profile position seems like a logical move for Gang Green at No. 13 overall. Now that it seems that pick is off the table in Rodgers negotiations, the Jets can devote it to a need area to complement their apparent QB-in-waiting. But the team discussed a deal with Orlando Brown Jr., Costello adds. The Steelers joined the Jets in being connected to Brown during his time on the market, but the Bengals came in with a frontloaded deal (four years, $64MM; $42.4MM due by 2024) to land the former Ravens and Chiefs Pro Bowler. The Jets have major questions at both tackle spots, with Duane Brown going into an age-38 season and Mekhi Becton having played one game in two years. Multiyear starter George Fant remains a free agent.
Josh Allen handled a career-high 124 rushing attempts last season, and the superstar Bills quarterback logged 122 in 2021. The 237-pound QB has operated as Buffalo’s go-to rushing option, but Sean McDermott would like to see his centerpiece player adjust his style of play. That likely means limiting the hits he takes as a runner, as NFL.com’s Judy Battista noted the five-year veteran has been tackled on 66% of his downfield runs (Twitter links). In an effort to prioritize Allen’s health and extend his career, it would be in the Bills’ best interest to curtail his run-game aggressiveness. Allen has, however, topped 700 rushing yards in each of the past two seasons; only he, Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts have done that over the past two seasons. It will be interesting to see how the Bills go about creating a delicate balance here.
The Dolphins recently extended Durham Smythe through 2025, but Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes the team will be expected to draft at least one tight end. Per an agent representing one of this year’s top free agent tight ends, the Dolphins did not want to spend much on the position. Seeing as Mike Gesicki saw his role significantly reduced in Mike McDaniel‘s first year as HC, that makes sense. But after losing Gesicki and Hunter Long (included in the Jalen Ramsey trade), Miami will need to make at least one addition here.

Josh Allen Not Expected To Require Elbow Surgery

February 14th, 2023 at 4:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Injuries to their biggest names on offense and defense altered the Bills’ Super Bowl push, but Josh Allen‘s recovery timetable will not be as lengthy as Von Miller‘s.

Although Allen’s elbow injury affected him for much of the season, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com report the Pro Bowl passer is not expected to need surgery. Allen suffered a partially torn UCL in early November, and according to NFL.com, associated tendon and muscle issues limited the fifth-year star as well. As Allen hoped in January, a rehab program — and not a surgical path — is the expected offseason course of action.

This injury was not believed to be as severe as the UCL sprain Allen suffered as a rookie, but the Wyoming product said doctors initially viewed a two- to four-week absence as likely. Allen underwent a PRP procedure and wore a brace for a period, eventually shedding it later in the season. But the Bills quarterback did not finish the year as strong as he started it. The injury and brace disrupted Allen’s mechanics, per Rapoport and Pelissero, though he did not miss any time because of it.

Allen’s injury was a bit worse than initial reports indicated, and the veteran quarterback’s issues played an important role in last season’s preseason Super Bowl favorite falling short. But surgery not being part of this equation represents good news for the Bills. The 49ers may not have their preferred starter until either late August or during the 2023 season, depending on what type of procedure ends up being completed to repair Brock Purdy‘s torn UCL.

Despite the injury and Brian Daboll‘s departure, the Bills still ranked second in points scored in 2022. Allen is going into his age-27 season, and Buffalo has nine of its 11 offensive starters under contract. Stefon Diggs and Dawson Knox signed long-term deals last year. The Bills should be expected to pursue offensive line upgrades, but Allen recovering will put the team in position to enter next season as one of the Super Bowl LVIII frontrunners.

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