As a longtime offensive lineman, Audacy Sports NFL insider Ross Tucker has watched a lot of quarterbacks in his day. But he’s never seen somebody improve like Buffalo Bills signal caller Josh Allen.
During his recent segment on the “Howard and Jeremy Show” on Thursday, Tucker extolled the way Allen’s game as progressed.
“I’ve never seen a quarterback in my life improve as much as he has the last couple of years,” Tucker said with Sal Capaccio. “It’s incredible, and it’s almost exciting to see if he can do it again, and prove even more this year.”
It will be hard for Allen to prove even more in 2021, considering he finished second in MVP voting last season. However, the star pass-thrower is trying. This offseason, he’s worked on cutting down interceptions thrown to his left.
Allen threw for 4,544 yards last season with 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
With those numbers in mind, the Bills quarterback is lining himself up for a big extension. It’s likely he’ll command a contract in the range of Dak Prescott, who received a whopping six-year, $240 million deal with $126 million guaranteed from the Dallas Cowboys. Deshaun Watson, another contemporary, inked a four-year, $160 million contract last September with the Houston Texans, with nearly $111 million in guaranteed money.
Finally, Patrick Mahomes signed a record-setting extension with the Kansas City Chiefs that ultimately could be worth $503 million over 12 years, but he’s been willing to work with the team to make it as cap friendly as possible. He restructured his deal this offseason, creating $17 million in cap space.
The point is, contracts can be fluid. While signing Allen to a nine-figure extension will limit Buffalo’s flexibility, it doesn’t have to destroy it.
Plus, Allen is one of the best quarterbacks in the game. The Bills’ Super Bowl dreams wouldn’t be possible without him.
“The guy is an MVP candidate,” Tucker said. “That’s what they go for. Nobody in Kansas City is complaining about how much they’re paying Patrick Mahomes and how that’s holding them back.”
You can listen to Tucker's entire interview below: