Broncos Rumored to be 'Closing In' on a Zach Allen Extension

The Denver Broncos entered training camp with a handful of key players looking for an extension. Wide receiver Courtland Sutton was the first domino to fall, signing a four-year, $92 million extension on Monday.

All-Pro defensive lineman Zach Allen could be next, according to the NFL rumor mill. Rickey Scoops on X has broken a number of NFL stories, and he posted on Thursday that the Broncos are getting close to a new accord with Allen.

"The Broncos are closing in on an extension with Zach Allen," he posted.

Reportedly, Allen has been looking for a monster extension that would pay him north of $25 million per year. The deal he signed with the Broncos back in 2023 paid him an annual average of $15.25 million, so he's asking for a significant increase.

Is Allen worth an additional $10 million (or more) per year? As one of the NFL's best interior defenders, the answer is yes, especially with quarterback Bo Nix still on his cost-controlled rookie contract.

Allen notched 60 tackles and five sacks for the Broncos in 2023, starting all 17 games. He followed that up with an absolutely monster 2024 campaign, notching a career high 8.5 sacks and 61 tackles, playing a ridiculously high volume of snaps.

Allen was snubbed in the Pro Bowl voting, but for the first time in his NFL career, he did receive an end-of-year accolade in the form of a second-team All-Pro selection by the Associated Press. He was deserving of first-team recognition for how good he was in 2024.

At 27 years old, the Broncos would be paying Allen based on what the team expects him to produce in the future, not on what he's already done. He's currently the 18th-highest-paid interior defender, with the top guy being Kansas City's Chris Jones, who brings in a $31.7 million/year.

The next highest is Milton Williams, who just signed a four-year deal worth $104 million this past offseason, joining the New England Patriots. That deal pays Williams $26 million per year, which is likely the bench mark Allen's camp will be shooting for.

We could get into all the metrics and explain why and how Allen is worth the money. But suffice it to say, even with guys like All-Pro rush linebacker Nik Bonitto also up for an extension, the Broncos have a four-year window with Nix on his rookie contract, so they've got to make hay while the sun is shinging.

Next season, the Broncos won't have the Russell Wilson albatross hanging around their neck, which will free up even more budget. Extending Allen now could actually free up salary-cap space in 2025, depending on how the contract is structure.

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Time will tell, but the Broncos could be close to a new accord with Allen as training camp marches on. Who'd be next? Bonitto, in all likelihood, but Allen's trenchmate, John Franklin-Myers, is also entering a contract year and has been vocal about being "underpaid."