The Jacksonville Jaguars and linebacker Josh Allen agreed to a five-year, $150 million contract with $88 million guaranteed, league sources confirmed Wednesday. ESPN first reported the news.
The Jaguars moved to lock down one of their best players after they initially placed the franchise tag on Allen in March. At the time, general manager Trent Baalke said the team wasn’t able to reach an agreement with Allen before the deadline but emphasized the “objective to keep Josh in Jacksonville.”
“We certainly value Josh’s leadership on the field, in the locker room and in the community,” Baalke added.
Jacksonville selected Allen with the seventh pick of the 2019 NFL Draft after a standout senior season at Kentucky. He was named to the Pro Bowl as a rookie after amassing 10 1/2 sacks, and he rose to top-of-the-league status in 2023. Allen tallied 17 1/2 sacks last year to set a franchise record and tie for second most in the league with the Cincinnati Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson. Allen only trailed the Pittsburgh Steelers’ T.J. Watt, who recorded 19 sacks.
By comparison, Allen amassed 17 sacks total in his previous three seasons.
In addition to a career high in sacks, Allen also tallied one interception, two forced fumbles, 17 tackles for loss and 33 quarterback hits. He earned his second Pro Bowl invite in January.
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