JACKSONVILLE – He smiled widely. With reason.
Josh Allen is wealthy now – wealthier, at least – with the long, difficult process of solidifying his future reaching its desired end Wednesday afternoon. That's true for him and for the Jaguars.
"Good things come to those who wait," Allen said.
Indeed.
Allen, the Jaguars’ five-year veteran outside linebacker, on Wednesday signed a five-year contract extension. The signing removed the franchise tag the team assigned to him before the start of the 2024 NFL League Year in March, a tag that limited his ability to test unrestricted free agency.
"I'm happy," he said during a 20-minute conversation with local media after signing. "Hopefully the organization's happy, and the fan base is happy. But I know myself and my family's extremely happy to be here."
Added Allen: "I'm blessed. I'm humbled. There are just too many words in my head going on that I want to say. I can't really express it right now, but in due time, I will because I want to cry because I'm so happy. I'm very emotional right now, but the job's not done."
Allen, selected No. 7 overall by the Jaguars in the 2019 NFL Draft, turned in a career-best season in 2023 with 17.5 sacks. That tied for second in the NFL this past season behind T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers with 19 and broke the previous franchise single-season sacks record of 14.5 set by defensive lineman Calais Campbell in 2017.
Allen's 95 pressures in 2023 ranked second behind Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons' 99.
Allen earned his second career Pro Bowl honor in 2023, having also earned the honor when he registered 10.5 sacks as a rookie in 2019.
"I'm extremely blessed and honored to get this paycheck – or to get these checks, but I still set goals for myself," he said. "Defensive Player of the Year is my next goal – winning in the Super Bowl, being the MVP of it. I'm a legacy guy.
"I have to win the Super Bowl and be the MVP. I'm not going to stop until I get that. That's motivating me. That's bigger than money."
Allen when speaking to the media Wednesday talked extensively of legacy, and of the importance of signing a second contract with the team that drafted him nearly five years ago. He talked, too, of his motivation while setting the franchise sacks record last season – and emphasized that that motivation wasn't necessarily what many may have believed.
"Last year was me figuring everything out," Allen said. "I know everybody talks about, 'Oh, it was the contract year, he was extra motivated.' For me it was figuring out life. Nobody gives you a guidebook and says, 'This is life, this is what you want to do. This is how you handle it.'
"I feel like my wife and I have grown so much throughout these years. We thank each other every day we didn't stay where we were in the past because we still need to grow. This is something that we need to build for our kids. It's just very special to leave a legacy.
NOTABLE
- Allen on Wednesday said he will participate in the early weeks of the Jaguars' offseason program, which begins April 15, and said he will again work out on his own in Arizona as a major part of his offseason process. Allen worked out extensively in Arizona in the 2022 offseason and missed all of the voluntary portion of the offseason in 2023 before participating in the team's three-day mandatory mid-June minicamp. "I feel like that process got me to perform at a very high level," Allen said. "It got me mentally, physically ready to compete and perform." The Jaguars earlier this offseason hired Ryan Nielsen as defensive coordinator after Mike Caldwell served in the position the past two seasons, with Nielsen expected to run a four-lineman based scheme after the defense played a 3-4 scheme under Caldwell. "I've had this plan and I'm just going to stick to it," Allen said. "I'm going to be here for the first couple of weeks, to get in touch with the coaches, to know what the scheme is about, to get those basic installs. Then, 'OK, this is what we are doing, this is what they expect from me, this is what they want from me.' Now when I go train, I can do what I need to do." Added Allen: "It's the value of that individual time that I have, that I can maximize my value and come back physically in shape and mentally in shape. It worked for me. So for me, why not do what got me there in the first place? My teammates know I love them. They know I'll do anything for them. They know I'm one phone call away."
QUOTABLE
- Allen on fan support during negotiations: "Seeing the fans really wanted me back, they knew what type of player I was on and off the field. Having that local support behind me helped."
