Buffalo Bills: 4 roster decisions they have to make after the 2021 NFL Draft

Extend Josh Allen

The big question looming over the Buffalo Bills at this point is when they agree to a contract extension with quarterback Josh Allen. This is something that they would probably like to get done sooner rather than later but it will take some serious work.

The reason is that Josh Allen is likely going to come away as being one of the highest paid players in the NFL. After the year he had this past season, he certainly made a strong case for himself to be in that upper tier in terms of contracts. While he may not reach Patrick Mahomes he could find himself in the same company as Dak Prescott, Deshaun Watson, and Russell Wilson as all three quarterbacks have an average salary between $35 million and $40 million per year, according to Spotrac.

This could be tough for the Buffalo Bills, especially considering the salary cap did not continue to grow this year as it was expected due to the pandemic. A lower salary cap creates some challenges for the Bills trying to fit in such a large contract.

The good news though is that this is not a necessity to get done this offseason. After the Bills pick up the fifth year option, it will keep Allen in Buffalo through the 2022 season. While it isn’t ideal, they would then have the option of the franchise tag. This could buy some time over the next few years to finalize a long-term extension.