Josh Allen, Bills Agree to Massive Contract Extension

The reigning NFL MVP is receiving a six-year, $330 million extension from the Bills. The deal includes $250 million in guarantees, a record-breaking figure. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report on the agreement on Sunday.

Allen, 28, is one of the top quarterbacks in the league and is coming off his first MVP campaign. However, it was a bit of a peculiar season from an individual standpoint for the strong-armed passer. The Bills, who finished the season 13-4 and won a fifth-straight AFC East title, didn’t rely on Allen as much as they have in the past. As a result, Allen recorded 28.4 pass attempts per game — his lowest mark since his rookie year.

A run-heavy approach led to Allen having fewer turnovers. He finished the year with just six interceptions — less than half his career average. It allowed the offense to operate more efficiently, and Allen led the NFL in QBR as a result. Allen was selected to the All-Pro Second-team behind Lamar Jackson but narrowly edged out the Baltimore QB in MVP voting.

In the postseason, Allen and the Bills handled the Denver Broncos in the Wild Card round by a score of 31-7. Then, they defeated the Ravens and the MVP runner-up in a thrilling 27-25 victory. In the AFC Championship, the Bills fell to the Chiefs — again — in a 32-29 defeat.

Allen has performed well in the playoffs over his career — 25 TDs/4 INTs in 13 games — but has not been able to overcome Kansas City. Four of his six career playoff losses have come against the Chiefs.  The last three games have all come down to the wire. It feels like the Bills are never going to get over the hump unless they can finally dethrone the AFC’s juggernaut.

With Allen in tow, the Bills are now tasked with building out the rest of the roster. They added the receiving corps on Monday, signing former Charger wideout Joshua Palmer to a three-year deal. Allen’s massive cap number will force the front office to be creative with the salary cap. However, players in the past have shown a willingness to accept a pay cut to play with an elite quarterback. And, the Bills certainly have a franchise cornerstone in Allen.