Will Jaguars extend Josh Allen by Tuesday tag deadline?

With the franchise tag window deadline approaching on Tuesday at 4 p.m. what will Trent Baalke and co do with the team’s top OLB/Edge?

The Jacksonville Jaguars are currently approaching what some may consider to be one of the most important offseasons for the team since the one following the 2017 AFC Championship loss to the New England Patriots.

As we all know, that 2017 team arguably definitely squandered their opportunity to take the next step to upgrade some of their talent, instead choosing to re-sign much of the 2017 team and run it back (with the main losses being Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns while adding Donte Moncrief and D.J. Chark). This, and Bortles being Bortles, caused that team to fall off the cliff the following season, the first year of the coming rebuild.

The 2023-24 Jaguars, unfortunately, seemed to follow a similar blueprint in the 2022-23 offseason, resulting in an unfortunate, but all-to-familiar collapse. With a now strangely competent group of AFC South opponents to contend with, the Jaguars have been presented with another opportunity to make a franchise-altering decision. With slightly less cap space than in prior rebuilding years, the team now faces the decision of whether to extend or tag Josh Allen before the 4:00 p.m. ET deadline. on Tuesday, March 5.

Allen began his career on fire, collecting 10.5 sacks in his rookie season. However, that season was followed by a 2.5 sack year, as he only appeared in eight games due to injury. Allen bounced back in 2021 and 2022 with 7.5 and 7 sack seasons, respectively, before a 17.5 sack explosion in 2023.

After playing last season on his $10.8 million fifth-year option, essentially a contract year, Jacksonville is currently trying to hammer out a long-term extension with Allen’s camp. All indications are that Allen wants to be a Jaguar and the team will have him on the roster in 2024 no matter what.

Whether the team can reach an agreement before the coming deadline could later impact Jacksonville’s available cap space, which draft picks are lost/kept, and a potential Calvin Ridley extension.

John Oehser of Jaguars.com stated last week that he was “fifty-fifty. Ish.” on the chances that Allen would be signed by the March 5th deadline, opening up the potential for the team to then tag Ridley. This would allow Ridley to remain on the team without the risk of losing him in free agency.

Jacksonville fans overwhelmingly would like to see Allen extended this offseason. However, with time running down, we have just a few days and counting. What do you predict the outcome to be? Will they extend Allen by the Tuesday deadline? What say you, BCC?