The Bills must be thanking their lucky stars for securing their star QB, Josh Allen, with a 6-year deal. Signed back in 2021, the contract is worth $258 million and averages $43 million annually. However, it now seems like quite the bargain, given the progression of the QB market. Despite Allen’s stellar performance, his deal pales in comparison to recent contracts like Jordan Love’s, who has assumed the reins for just a year.
Advertisement
Buffalo entered this offseason in one of the worst cap situations in the league. To make room for extensions and draft picks, they had to clear out the deadwood and even release several players. Allen’s relatively lower deal was a saving grace, preventing them from being even more financially constrained at the start of free agency.
However, GM Brandon Beane still faces a tough challenge. With only $10 million in cap space, finding additional money will be difficult. Allen’s contract is structured to count only $30.3 million against the cap this year, with $1.1 million in guaranteed money and the rest divided into bonuses. But these numbers will increase each year.
Looking at the Josh Allen contract, I’m not really sure what kind of gymnastics Beane can do after this season to give him a raise to get him back to the top of the market. I don’t think they expected it to go from 43M at the top to 55M at the top in like three years.
Well, I…
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) July 27, 2024
Recent massive deals for Love and Tua Tagovailoa have pushed Allen down to 13th on the list of the highest-paid QBs. He now earns less than mid-tier QBs like Kirk Cousins, Deshaun Watson, and Kyler Murray, despite having a better playoff record than all but Mahomes and Burrow.
On top of that, Allen has recorded more than 40 total touchdowns in four consecutive seasons, single-handedly leading the Bills’ offensive front.
To keep Allen satisfied while managing increasing cap numbers, the Bills may need to increase the guaranteed money in his contract, similar to what the Rams did with Stafford. Allen had $150 million in guaranteed money in his original deal.
That said, Allen’s offseason isn’t only being talked about for his contract but also for his first day at training camp, which didn’t quite end as he would have hoped.
Allen Struggles During Training Camp
Allen’s big arm and expansive playing style mean he will always succumb to some interceptions. The Bills QB turned the ball over 18 times last season, and it seems he carried that issue into the 2024 offseason.
According to Heavy, Allen made his presence known during the 7-vs-7 and 11-v-11 drills, but couldn’t leave the day without throwing three interceptions. The first was the result of an overthrow, the second came from a deep ball thrown into good coverage, and the third was a miscommunication between him and the receiver—something that might happen frequently this season.
With the departures of standout wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, Allen will now have to rely on rookie and less experienced wideouts to keep the offense ticking. They drafted promising talent in Keon Coleman and also brought in veterans like Chase Claypool, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Curtis Samuel. However, whether they can adjust to the Buffalo environment remains to be seen.
