The Buffalo Bills will kick off their playoff quest this weekend, welcoming the Denver Broncos for a wild-card game on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. Whle both teams have found strengths in several areas, there is no doubt that this matchup is all about the quarterbacks–star MVP candidate Josh Allen for the Bills and rookie Bo Nix for the Broncos.
It’s somewhat bittersweet for the Broncos, because when Allen was coming out of Wyoming in 2018, Denver had the No. 5 pick and was considering drafting him. Instead, the Broncos opted for defensive end Bradley Chubb, and Allen fell to Buffalo at No. 7.
Thanks, Denver.
“We’re fortunate that we have Josh Allen and he’s been a great person not just on the field, but he’s out in the community making an impact,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “That’s just as important as the level of play to which he’s played, in particular this year. I think most of us, Josh included, accept those challenges and use them in the right way.”
Bills quarterback Josh Allen at Highmak Stadium.
Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
Of course, one of the challenges for any NFL team is not just identifying a franchise quarterback, it’s also figuring out how to keep him in place without breaking the salary cap altogether. The Bills have been managing to keep Allen happy by shifting some future money forward, but there is no doubt that the team will need to rip up his current contract at some point and give him a new one.
At Spotrac, the NFL contract-expert site, Allen is predicted to get that new deal sooner rather than later–after this postseason, in fact.
Writes site managing editor Mike Ginnitti, in predicting “bold” New Year’s resolutions for prominent NFL players:
“Allen’s contract was adjusted this past March to bring money forward, giving the 28-year-old a $60M base payout in 2024. There’s another $5M available based on playoffs & and MVP win. The maneuver leaves just $14.5M of base cash available in 2025 now, making it very likely that another adjustment will be necessary.
“Allen has 4 years, $129.5M remaining on his contract through 2028, a $32.3M APY. With top QB contracts now nearly doubling this mark, it stands to reason that the Bills could opt to start fresh with a brand new deal for the 28-year-old.”
