Josh Allen, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ pass rusher, has stated it a couple dozen, if not hundreds, of times: he wants to stay with the Jaguars. Allen, one of the most anticipated free agents in team history, is already committed to return to Jacksonville in 2024, according to general manager Trent Baalke. The issue is whether Allen will play on the franchise tag or on a new multiyear contract. In any case, Allen’s preference is evident. He intends to stay a Jaguar this year, next year, and every year thereafter
“Of course I want to be in Jacksonville. You know, I have a chance to leave a legacy behind,” Allen said this weekend in Orlando at the Pro Bowl, via Jamal St. Cyr of WJXT4 in Jacksonville. “And you know, that’s something I wanted to do. I wanted to be with the best defensive player to come out of Jacksonville. And that’s everywhere that I go so I got a great opportunity to finish what I started. You know, but at the end of the day I know what comes with the business side of it. So, you know, whatever play out, play out. But, you know, I’d love to be back.”
In 17 games this year, Allen recorded 17.5 sacks, a career-high 33 quarterback hits, a career-high 17 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and an interception. Allen also finished No. 5 among all EDGE players in pressures and No. 7 in win-rate. “Haven’t started. Those negotiations will start,” Baalke said last week. “I know Josh wants to be here, I know we want him here. Can we come to a number that works for everybody? That’s the key. I respect that. Like I said last year with Evan’s (Engram) situation, you got to respect these guys that put themselves in this position. They work hard, they deserve to make good money. What that good means to them could be different than what it means to us. We just got to come together, sit down at the table and work things out.”
The last two years, the Jaguars have used the franchise tag as a mechanism to continue negotiations. It happened with Evan Engram last year before he signed a new deal ahead of training camp, and it happened with Cam Robinson in 2022 before he signed a new deal around the draft. “I’m not going to commit to anything right now relative to the franchise tag. But at the same token, Josh Allen is going to be a Jaguar next year,” Baalke said.
