Bills Quietly Made $30 Million Move on QB Josh Allen

Getty Bills quarterback Josh Allen at Soldier Field on August 26, 2023.

The Buffalo Bills quietly gave Josh Allen a jump in compensation this season.

Michael Ginnitti of the salary tracking outlet Sportrac reported that the Bills quietly moved $30 million into this year’s compensation. The Bills had restructured Allen’s contract in March to free up $16.7 million for the upcoming season, but the new dollars had not been reported at the time.

“The #Bills renegotiated QB Josh Allen’s contract this offseason, pulling $30M of cash into his 2024 compensation,” Ginnitti noted in a post on X. 

Ginnitti added that the move lowered Allen’s cap hits for the next two seasons, reducing it by $17 million for 2024 and $13.3 million in 2026. That could create some important space for a Bills team already poised to spend more in the coming seasons.

Josh Allen Speaks Out on Salary

Allen’s cash increase came amid speculation about the six-year, $258.3 million extension the Bills quarterback signed in the summer of 2021, which has since been surpassed by several quarterbacks. The Bills quarterback has insisted that he’s not concerned about how much he’s making, telling reporters this summer that he’s confident everything will work out.

“Everyone is going to have their day,” Allen said. “I’m happy that everyone’s getting what they’re worth, right? I think that as the game progresses and guys keep getting paid, the market is the market. I’ve got no problem with where I’m at right now. I had my day a couple of years ago, and I’m sure someday I’ll have it again. I think the main thing is the main thing and that’s playing football to the best of my ability. Everything else will take care of itself.”

Others have suggested Allen is in line for a new deal. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio noted that with every new quarterback contract coming in higher, Allen’s $258.3 million extension “becomes more glaring.”

“The Bills might not want to hear this, especially with upcoming cap charges of $60.7 million, $56.4 million, $49.4 million, and $45.7 million, but Allen is underpaid,” Florio wrote. “He should want a new deal. He should get a new deal. If his agents are currently rattling the cage behind the scenes, he could be the first to $60 million.”

Bills Clearing Cap Space

The Bills have been forced to make some difficult salary cap decisions in the last year, parting ways with several veteran players this offseason including cornerback Tre’Davious White and center Mitch Morse. The team also traded wide receiver Stefon Diggs, a costly move that left a dead-money charge of $31.096 million for this season.

The Bills got a bit of relief thanks to a league-record $30.6 million increase in cap dollars for the 2024 season.

“Every dollar you can get helps,” Bills general manager Brandon Beane told The Associated Press. “We were conservatively planning for a number in the 240s. So to get the 255, I was smiling, yeah.”

Beane added that the team was thinking about the future and trying to create room to make moves in the coming seasons.

“Now that we know the cap, we’re working through getting under, and then how much can we create without totally piling up a huge mess in 2025 or ’26,” he said.