The Jaguars locked down one of their top defensive players to compete in the AFC South.
Jacksonville signed 2019 first-round pick edge rusher Josh Allen to a five-year, $150 million deal with $88 million guaranteed, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
It's a massive deal that solidifies a revamped Jaguars defensive line as the team looks to re-take the AFC South from the Texans. The Jaguars had already added veteran defensive lineman Arik Armstead earlier this offseason — a former DeMeco Ryans acolyte who the Texans reportedly tried to trade for and sign.
While Allen was likely going to play for Jacksonville in 2024 anyway because of the franchise tag, his long-term extension sets up a future in which quarterback C.J. Stroud will go toe-to-toe with Allen for a while. The edge rusher racked up 17.5 sacks in 2023, including 2.5 against Stroud in Week 12.
The Texans have made every move this offseason in the hopes of defending its division crowd. The acquisitions of Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon, as well as the defensive upgrades with Danielle Hunter at edge rusher, are crucial in that endeavor.
The rest of the division hasn't been quiet, though. The Jaguars retained Allen and added Armstead as well as wide receiver Gabriel Davis, the Titans traded for cornerback L'Jarius Sneed and signed wide receiver Calvin Ridley and the Colts retained a lot of their key players and got rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson back healthy in 2024.
The AFC South will be a lot of fun to watch this year.
