Jaguars quotes of the week: Josh Allen signing special

With the week dominated by a contract extension, here are the best sound bites following Josh Allen’s new deal

One day of huge news has delivered enough quotes for a whole week! Which is useful really, as teams batten down the hatches at this time of year to avoid leaking any draft information to the media. Nevertheless, Josh Allen extending his stay in Duval County has had tongues wagging. Here are the best quotes of the last, well, 24 hours:

“Good things come to those who wait”

Where else to start but with the man himself?! After inking a five year deal to the tune of $150m, Josh Allen met with the media on Wednesday to discuss his new contract. Needless to say, emotions were running high – but the general gist of it? The edge rusher is delighted to get it done:

“Good things come to those who wait! I’m happy. Hopefully the organization’s happy, and the fan base is happy. But I know myself and my family are extremely happy to be here. 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.”

After protracted talks, it was nice to see an agreement reached way before the season begins. For Allen though, now the money is settled, it’s time to focus on other priorities – namely building on his 2023 form for both further personal and team success:

“I’m extremely blessed and honored to get this paycheck – or to get these checks, but I still set goals for myself. 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.”

“A true pro”

General Manager Trent Baalke has been on the blunt end of some stinging criticism this offseason, including for having to tag Allen in the first place. That ultimately may have led to Calvin Ridley skipping town, but it shouldn’t detract from eventually getting the job done. These deals are never easy, but Jags fans will sleep a lot better knowing their star pass rusher is tied down for the long haul. Baalke himself was delighted with the outcome:

“We are pleased to announce the signing of Josh Allen to a five-year contract. Josh is a true pro who has developed into one of the top producing defensive players at his position in the NFL and a cornerstone of our defense. He is a leader on and off the field, and we are excited for Josh and his family, as well as our fanbase.”

With another piece locked down, the Jags GM may next turn to Trevor Lawrence and his future contract, which will definitely be even pricier.

“That is a rarity for this franchise”

Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

Reaction around the league regarding Allen’s contract extension has been positive. On her show ‘Up And Adams’, Kay Adams noted how the signing was a detour from previous ways of working in Jacksonville – for the better:

“The Jags lock it up, they do the right thing at the perfect time. Twenty six years old, a two time Pro Bowl linebacker. Have we seen the best of him? Probably not. He’s not just the other Josh Allen, that cute little trite thing people say sometimes. Only T.J. Watt had more sacks last year. I’m so glad that the Jags decided to get this done. I’ve loved that they’ve done it with their boy.”

“They drafted him. That is a rarity for this franchise. They drafted Jalen Ramsey, he crushes it, he doesn’t get paid by them, he gets paid by the Rams, wins the Super Bowl and all that. You can baulk all you want at this stuff, but they nailed it with this pick.”

It’s a fair point to make, even if Baalke wasn’t in town when previous ‘homegrown’ talents found the exit door. Lets hope this is a sign of things to come in the future.

“He’s a stud”

Now over to ‘The Pat McAfee Show’, which is never short of an opinion or two. Amidst some sardonic humor regarding it being a bad deal for the Indianapolis Colts, McAfee was also impressed with the Jaguars and being able to tie down their defensive star for the long haul:

“Congratulations Josh Allen! He’s been a staple down there, and he’s been a quiet assassin for the Jacksonville Jaguars team. Last year was a monster year for him, now he signs a massive $88m guaranteed deal. He’s a stud, the Jaguars realize that, and keep him around. At this time of the season, to sign that deal – good for him. This is a Jags team that’s shown a lot of promise but lost [Calvin] Ridley this offseason. But with Josh Allen sticking around, hopefully they’ll be able to go on a run.”

Hopefully indeed – and hopefully at the expense of the Colts, too.

“An awesome story”

And finally over to Ian Rapaport, who makes his own fair share of money breaking news such as this. The NFL Network insider gave a little more insight to the numbers, and where that pegs Allen amongst the league’s elite edge rushers. Safe to say, he’s up there with the best of them:

“A five year, $150m deal is the max value, with a $141.25 base salary – he beats Brian Burns, the new Giants pass rusher and is now amongst the highest paid in the NFL. This is an awesome story for Josh Allen, he came in, kinda had a slow start, but had a career year last year and ends up cashing in. He gets a $32m signing bonus too. If you’re Jaguars GM Trent Baalke, it has been a busy, busy offseason. You struck big with a couple in free agency, locked in some of your own guys, with their star pass rusher being the latest.”

In fact, Allen’s numbers make him the second-highest paid edge rusher in the league, behind only Nick Bosa of the San Francisco 49ers. Rarified air right there. Congratulations Josh – we can’t wait to see you in black and teal for the next five years!