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Alaina Getzenberg
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Josh Allen, coming off his first MVP season and the best year of his career, certainly could have sought a new deal that broke all records for NFL contracts.
But doing so wasn’t what mattered most to the Buffalo Bills quarterback.
Allen made history with his recent six-year, $350 million extension by receiving more guaranteed money — $250 million — than any other player. The deal’s average annual value of $55 million, however, is tied for the second-highest in the NFL and pays Allen $5 million less annually than Dak Prescott’s contract with the Dallas Cowboys.
“It didn’t seem like from my perspective I was taking a whole lot less,” Allen said Wednesday, three days after agreeing to the deal with the Bulls. “But the way I make sense of it, when you start getting these fairly big numbers throughout the entire league — it’s weird to say this — but what is [$5 million] more going to do for my life that I can’t already do right now? It’s not that crazy to me.
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“I live a pretty good life. Got a house, got a car. We’re good.”
Allen shared that he instructed his agent, Patrick Collins, not to negotiate a deal that would significantly impact Buffalo’s salary cap.
“I wasn’t looking to absolutely kill them at every chance I could, and I told my agent that,” Allen said. “I was like, ‘If it has any impact on the cap, let’s figure out a way to not do that.’
“Both sides were willing to move and change different things, and it was a pretty calm-mannered negotiation is what I can say from both sides.”
The Bills have been active in the early portion of free agency, signing their own players to extensions — including wide receiver
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Rich Cimini
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — One month after saying goodbye to Aaron Rodgers, the New York Jets addressed the quarterback position on the first day of free agent negotiating period, agreeing to terms Monday with former Pittsburgh Steelers backup Justin Fields, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Fields, 26, will sign a two-year, $40 million contract that includes $30 million in guarantees, the sources said. The former Chicago Bears first-round pick is expected to be the Jets’ opening-day starter, ahead of holdover backup Tyrod Taylor, but this isn’t a long-term commitment. The Jets, who also could add a quarterback in the draft, can reevaluate the position after the 2025 season.
Rodgers has emerged as a quarterback option for the Steelers, league sources told Schefter on Monday.
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This is a major move for the Jets’ new regime, headed by general manager Darren Mougey and coach Aaron Glenn, who lured him away from the Steelers. They identified Fields as the player they want to lead the franchise into a new era.
The Jets landed Fields after losing four major contributors on Monday — right tackle
The Denver Broncos and Talanoa Hufanga on Monday agreed to a three-year contract worth up to $45 million, including $20 million guaranteed at signing, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal was negotiated by Chris Cabott, CEO of EquitySports.
Hufanga, 26, enjoyed a breakout 2022 season with the San Francisco 49ers in which he earned first-team All-Pro honors and appeared poised to cement himself as one of the league’s top safeties. That year, Hufanga had 97 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles as he garnered a Pro Bowl nod.
His ascent, however, has been slowed by injuries over the past two seasons, as he has played in just 17 games combined.
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He tore his ACL in Week 11 of the 2023 season after posting three interceptions and 52 tackles in 10 games. He then was slowed by a wrist ailment in 2024 that kept him to seven games and 38 tackles.
Hufanga was originally a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft out of USC who carved out a role on special teams as a rookie before becoming a starter in 2022.
ESPN staff writer Nick Wagoner contributed to this report.
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Josh Weinfuss
TEMPE, Ariz. — The Cardinals began rebuilding their pass rush by agreeing to re-sign outside linebacker Baron Browning to a two-year contract Sunday, a day before the free agency negotiating window begins.
Financial terms were not disclosed but Browning’s deal is worth $15 million, a source confirmed to ESPN.
Browning, 26, was traded to the Cardinals from the Denver Broncos in early November, providing an instant boost to their pass rush.
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In eight games with the Cardinals, Browning had two sacks, 14 tackles (11 solo) and three quarterback hits. He provided depth for Arizona at a position where it severely needed it. The Cardinals lost projected starting outside linebacker B.J. Ojulari to an ACL injury during training camp in August and then lost starting outside linebacker Dennis Gardeck to an ACL injury in October, leaving the Cardinals thin off the edge.
Browning, a 2021 third-round pick out of Ohio State, made $1.5 million last season.
In four seasons with the Broncos and Cardinals, Browning has 11.5 career sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, an interception and six passes defended.
The news of Browning’s deal was first reported by NFL Network.
