The expectations for Josh Allen of Buffalo Payments are actually as large as his contract – Buffalo Payments Weblog
BUFFALO, NY – No matter how shyly Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane answered or how often quarterback Josh Allen was distracted, the off-season questions about a contract renewal kept coming back.
But even with the option of submitting the interview by 2022, neither side showed signs of fear; Allen and the Bills publicly expressed their desire to strike a deal, knowing it was a matter of when, not if.
As it turned out, the when came on Friday afternoon.
Allen and the Bills agreed on a six-year contract extension worth $ 258 million with a guaranteed NFL record of $ 150 million, according to ESPN analyst Adam Schefter. The average annual value of $ 43 million makes Allen the second highest paid player in league history, behind Patrick Mahomes, quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, and the highest paid player in Bills history.
It’s a fitting award for the most highly drafted quarterback in the franchise in history, and will serve as one of the most notable rags-to-riches in sports stories – the unrecruited kid from a farm town in central California whose only division I offered was a coach from Wyoming attended a junior college game to scout out one of Allen’s teammates. The same kid whose selection at # 7 in 2018 met widespread criticism and whose rookie season (10 TD passes, 12 interceptions, and 52.8 completion percentages) failed to allay that skepticism.
Allen was the third quarterback, drafted in 2018, behind Baker Mayfield (Cleveland Browns, No. 1) and Carolina Panthers starter Sam Darnold, who was voted No. 3 by the New York Jets; Now Allen is one of the richest players in NFL history.
But Allen in Buffalo was just too perfect to fail.
“Personally, I think it was just a game that worked,” he said. “I’m in this great city here in Buffalo trying to somehow embody what the city is: worker, hard working, don’t complain, find out the mentality. I’m very driven and I” I always had my goal to play this game as long as possible. “
However, there is an enormous responsibility associated with investing the bills. Quarterbacks Jared Goff (# 1 pick of the Los Angeles Rams) and Carson Wentz (Philadelphia Eagles) were the first two picks in the 2016 NFL draft. Both received huge contract extensions from the teams who designed them but ended up in traded this off-season.
Everyone is paid like Mahomes now, so anything that doesn’t win the Super Bowl will be seen as a disappointment.
The Bills are clearly confident that Allen can live up to expectations. His contract is a by-product of a three-year investment. When Buffalo designed Allen, Beane supported him in every way possible to ensure his success by improving the offensive line and keeping coach Sean McDermott’s staff intact to provide stability.
Beane even traded for star wide receiver Stefon Diggs last season to help Allen take the next step forward.
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In return, Allen ran an MVP secondary placement campaign (4,544 yards, 37 TD passes, and 69.2 completion percentages) and set franchise records in almost all major statistical passing categories. Beane isn’t worried that the 2020 season could be an outlier. Allen had ticked the last box in his mind; he was a respected locker room leader and a valued pillar in the Buffalo community.
“We’re not scared of ‘oh let’s just extend it for a year or two’ or something – we believe in Josh,” said Beane.
Everything about Allen had screamed “franchise quarterback” except for one thing – his production on the field. That last question mark was answered with enthusiasm last season.
But as Dr. Dre Kendrick Lamar once said, “Anyone can get it – the hard part is keeping it.”
As impressive as Allen’s 2020 season was, it’s an outlier in terms of his NFL career. Few people could criticize Beane for wanting to see another year of production before putting the house on his quarterback.
But that’s the thing – with this contract extension, Beane is not only counting on everyone. Given what Beane, McDermott, offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and quarterbacks coach Ken Dorsey have done to get the face of their franchise to this point, Allen’s deal represents Beane’s innate confidence in their work.
“You understand what he’s good at,” said Beane. “Then we could find out what kind of weapons he likes best, what he sees, what he goes well with, and we added those things. … and like Sean said, we have a full development staff here to help people grow.
“Josh is far from the finished product, he’ll be the first to tell you. But these things, and where he comes from, where he is today, gives you the confidence to ask [owners Kim and Terry Pegula] so that you can take this step. “
How can someone be sure that everyone is still focused on the task at hand? According to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, Allen learned from his agent that they were on the verge of a deal around 4 a.m. on Friday. He practiced as always and then signed the contract.
As if nothing has changed.
“That’s how it’s wired,” said McDermott.
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