Josh Allen’s reason for not wanting to “absolutely kill” Bills this offseason

Josh Allen is the reigning MVP of the NFL, and came into the offseason with hopes of a new deal. He got his new deal, but he also left money on the table so the Buffalo Bills could build a winning team around him.

Looking for Lombardi

Buffalo has been on the cusp of their first Super Bowl title in franchise history over the last few years, but have yet to lift the Lombardi Trophy. Allen saw most of his top targets from two seasons ago leave last offseason, but carried a team of unknowns to the AFC Championship before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Allen had a chance to ask for top dollar during his negotiations with the Bills, but he opted to take less money so he and his teammates can chase that elusive title that those in Western New York have been dreaming of for so long.

“I wasn’t looking to absolutely kill them at every chance I could, and I told my agent that,” he said on Wednesday. “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.”

Only Dak makes more

In the end the Bills MVP agreed to a six-year, $330 million contract extension which will bring him in $55 million a year on average. That puts him on par with Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence and Jordan Love who only trail Dak Prescott and his $60 million a year contact.

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Allen has already made a lot of money, and is in line to make even more over the next few years. That’s why he felt the need to give the people in the front office a little more cash to spend with hopes of signing the missing pieces to the Super Bowl puzzle. “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,” Allen said. “I was like, if it has any impact on the cap, let’s figure out a way to not do that.”

Allen accounts for 19.7% of the teams total salary cap, which is 13th in the league, but his new deal which will differ a fraction of his salary until future seasons has already started to pay off. The Bills brought in DE Joey Bosa, and WR Josh Palmer, and allowed existing teammates in Buffalo to sign long term deals.