Josh Allen's contract looks even better after Justin Herbert's deal

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Josh Allen's contract looks even better after Justin Herbert's massive extension

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 7/25/23

Far away from the glitz and glamor of Los Angeles, you can hear the cackling of Buffalo Bills fans in the distance.

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Chargers made Justin Herbert the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL, inking him to a five-year, $262.5 million contract extension. Meanwhile, Herbert's deal is another in a growing line of deals that make Josh Allen's with the Buffalo Bills look even better.

Josh Allen's contract is already a steal for the #Bills. ⬇️⬇️⬇️ https://t.co/ga2v5g127p
— Ryan Talbot (@RyanTalbotBills) July 25, 2023

When Allen signed his six-year, $258 million extension in 2021, only the Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes had a higher yearly salary among quarterbacks. Both Mahomes and Allen are looking at an ever-expanding list of filthy-rich QBs. According to Spotrac, Mahomes and Allen now rank eighth and nine in average annual salary, respectively.

And the wheels will keep spinning because sometime, relatively soon, Herbert will be overtaken as the highest-paid QB in the league by another, whether it be Joe Burrow or someone else. As Field Yates of ESPN pointed out, Jalen Hurts (five years, $255 million) held the title for less than two weeks, and Lamar Jackson's (five years, $260 million) reign lasted roughly three months before Herbert agreed to his massive extension on Tuesday. So, Herbert better not get too comfortable on his thrown.

As for Allen, his extension really kicks in this season, with his cap hit jumping from $18.6 million in 2022 to $47.0 million in 2023. However, at its highest, Allen's cap hit will rise to $56.5 million in 2025 before declining each year until 2028.

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