While its still early in the 2025 offseason, the Buffalo Bills made one of the biggest splashes thus far by locking up their all-world quarterback to a record-setting $330 million total contract figure over the next 6 years.
The wildest part about that immense number, though, is that it was extremely inexpensive for a player of Josh Allen's caliber. This looks like another shrewd deal by Buffalo GM Brandon Beane and the Bills front office.
While Allen set a new NFL record with $250 million guaranteed in his new deal through 2030, he is still not the NFL's highest-paid quarterback in terms of average annual value ("AAV"). According to Spotrac , Allen's new contract of $55 million per year AAV still trails the Cowboy's Dak Prescott and is tied with other QB's Joe Burrow, Jordan Love, and Trevor Lawrence.
Burrow is in a comparable class to Allen as a player. But Love and Lawrence's resumes do not compare to Allen's. Even Prescott, who landed his $60 million per year deal at the beginning of the 2024 NFL season, is not regarded by many to be on par with Allen's talent, execution and success.
One could argue Allen could have reasonably commanded $65 million or more in AAV. The $55 million he signed for feels like a solid team discount that sets the Bills up for additional cap space, which undoubtedly will be used by Beane to resign pending Bills free agents, plus attract key free agents. As ESPN NFL Analyst Bill Barnwell stated, this deal "is a big win for the BIlls and a very generous team building move by Allen."
But make no mistake, the reigning NFL MVP is getting well compensated . His contract ranks second in total value behind Patrick Mahomes' $450 million. And he is one of only 10 QBs in the league to be making an average of $50 million per season.
Allen is also scheduled to make a record $220 million in the first four years of the new deal. This is noteworthy and significant, as this new six-year deal was not a restructure of his current contract, but an entirely new deal that replaces the remaining four-year deal he had entering the 2025 season. Allen is now locked up until the 2030 season when he will be 34 years old.
After all Allen has accomplished in seven seasons, the Bills should be thankful to have brought their MVP back on such a team-friendly deal. And if the trend of his 83-39 career record (including the playoffs) continues, this will be a moment Buffalo can look back on and be proud of how they handled it.
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