One player that is almost certain to get a raise this offseason is Zach Allen. What is the contract going to look like? Not only was Allen very good in 2023, his first year with the Denver Broncos, but he was truly elite in 2024.
This past season, Allen was a DPOY candidate. He racked up 8.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, and 40 QB hits, which were all career highs. He also added 61 total tackles. The one thing to note here is that he did play 89% of the defensive snaps, which was the most of his career by a longshot.
What does the Zach Allen extension look like?
However, Allen was simply outstanding in 2024 and is due for an extension. He is only under contract through 2025 and should remain in Denver through the prime years of his career. Extending Zach Allen could also save Denver money on their 2025 cap figure.
What would a projected extension look like?
According to spotrac.com, the market value for Zach Allen is three years and $66,244,350, which would come out to about $22.1 million per season. These numbers are similar to players like Maxx Crosby, Rashan Gary, Montez Sweat, and Leonard Williams
It may seem rich, but Allen was one of the best pass rushers in the NFL, regardless of position. I am sure the addition of John Franklin-Myers on the other side of the defensive line helped, and the emergence of Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto were also a factor here, but Zach Allen was the anchor of that front seven.
He has spent every year of his career with Vance Joseph, so he's been in his defenses for quite some time. It's an ideal marriage for both parties, and the Broncos have not hesitated to reward their players with contracts.
That's a factor of this team that could pay off in free agency in trying to sign players. The Denver Broncos have not been cheap or anything like that; they've poined up top-dollar to retain some of their players. Having the cash-rich ownership surely helps with this, but it's also a mark of a great team that the front office is paying players left and right.
There really isn't a lot that isn't working with the Denver Broncos. And them handing out a contract worth over $20 million per season for one of their best players is something that we should want to see happen more.