Jaguars use franchise tag on pass-rusher Allen

Michael DiRocco, ESPN Staff WriterMar 5, 2024, 02:06 PM ET
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jaguars placed the nonexclusive franchise tag on pass-rusher Josh Allen on Tuesday, the team announced.

Using the tag fully guarantees Allen a $24 million salary in 2024 and buys the team more time to work out a long-term extension with the 2019 first-round pick. If the Jaguars and Allen do not agree on a new contract or extension by July 15, he will be forced to play the 2024 season on the tag. If Allen chooses not to sign the franchise tag, he will be ineligible to play for any other team in 2024.

“We were not able to reach agreement on a contract extension with Josh before today’s deadline, and thus, we have tagged him,” Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said in a statement. “We certainly value Josh’s leadership on the field, in the locker room and in the community. Our objective to keep Josh in Jacksonville in the coming years remains unchanged and negotiations will continue.”

Earlier on Tuesday, the Jaguars released cornerback Darious Williams and safety Rayshawn Jenkins. Jacksonville also released defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi on Monday. Those three moves saved the Jaguars $20.2 million and gave the Jaguars approximately $50.2 million in salary cap space.

Now $24 million of that will go to Allen, though that number could change if the sides do agree to an extension sometime this offseason.

The Jaguars used the franchise tag last season on tight end Evan Engram, and he agreed to a three-year contract worth $41.25 million with $25.5 million guaranteed, one day before the deadline for teams to come to terms on a contract with franchise-tagged players.

Allen, 29, is coming off the best season of his career (franchise-record 17.5 sacks, second in the NFL) and he ranks sixth in pressures (228) and tied for 10th in sacks (32) in the NFL over the past three seasons. Allen’s 45 sacks are second on the team’s career list, trailing leader Tony Brackens by 10 (55).

The Jaguars picked Allen seventh overall in 2019, and he had 10.5 sacks as a rookie playing alongside Calais Campbell (who had the previous single-season franchise record with 14.5 sacks in 2017) and Yannick Ngakoue. A knee injury limited him to eight games in 2020 and he had 7.5 sacks in 2021 and 7.0 in 2022.

Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke did not offer Allen a contract extension after the 2022 season, essentially giving Allen a prove-it season in 2023 while playing on the fifth-year option. He responded with one of the best seasons by a defensive player in franchise history.

If Allen and the Jaguars do agree to a new contract or extension by July 15, he would become just the third of the Jaguars’ 14 first-round draft picks from 2008 to 2020 to sign an extension with the team, joining defensive tackle Tyson Alualu (2010) and quarterback Blake Bortles (2014).

The rest were either traded, cut or suspended before their rookie contracts expired or played out their rookie contracts and were not re-signed. Considering that 12 of those 14 players were drafted in the top 10 — including six in the top five — it’s not hard to figure out why the Jaguars have had just three winning seasons and two playoff appearances in that span.