Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen on Sunday agreed to terms on a six-year, $330 million contract extension with the club, which included an NFL-record $250 million in guaranteed money. That's an incredibly large sum of money, even by pro sports standards.
But there was a sense among some, especially those in the media, that Allen, coming off of an MVP season, could have pushed the Bills to become the highest-paid player in league history if he had wanted to.
But, as Allen himself said during a news conference on Wednesday, pushing the Bills for more money in contract talks wasn't something he wanted to do. And the reigning NFL MVP had a refreshingly honest perspective on why that was the case.
"It didn't seem like from my perspective I was taking a whole lot less," Allen said with a smile. "But the way I make sense of it, when you start getting these fairly big numbers throughout the entire league ... It's weird to say this ... but what is five [million dollars] more going to do for my life that I can't already do right now? It's not that crazy to me. I live a pretty good life. Got a house, got a car. We're good."
Among the league's highest-paid QBs in terms of average annual value, Allen, who will earn $55 million per year on his new contract, is tied for second with Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrow. The Bills QB was just $5 million shy of tying Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott, who is the highest-paid player in the league in terms of AAV at $60 million.
Beyond already feeling financially secure, Allen had another reason for not climbing ever-higher in his negotiations with Buffalo.
"I wasn't looking to absolutely kill them at every chance I could, and I told my agent that," Allen said. "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."
Above all? Allen, who has spent all seven seasons in Buffalo, loves being a Bill.
"I don't want to play anywhere else," Allen said. "Buffalo is home to me and it always will be."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Josh Allen Was Refreshingly Honest on Why He Didn't Push for More Money in Contract.
