Bills Central

Tua Tagovailoa's new contract proves Bills QB Josh Allen is severely underpaid

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is now the league's 12th highest-paid passer. That doesn't seem right.

Kyle Silagyi

Jan 7, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) reacts after the game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 7, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) reacts after the game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
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There’s a new top dog in the AFC East in terms of average annual salary, as the Miami Dolphins inked quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to a gargantuan four-year, $212.4 million extension with $167 million guaranteed on Friday afternoon. The deal will see the fifth-year passer earn just north of $53.1 million per season, good for third amongst NFL signal callers.

Tagovailoa’s extension pushes Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen further down the quarterback pay hierarchy, as he’s now the NFL’s 12th highest-paid passer. The former All-Pro fell out of the top 10 after Trevor Lawrence inked his five-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier this offseason.

Allen’s current standing amongst his colleagues isn’t necessarily surprising once one considers all of the factors; he initially inked his current contract in the summer of 2021, a six-year extension worth up to $258 million with a then-NFL record $150 million in guarantees. The deal was set to make Allen the second-highest-paid quarterback in the league at $43 million per year, behind only Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his $45 million annually.

Related: Bills fans clown Dolphins for signing QB Tua Tagovailoa to mega-contract

The quarterback market has been reset several times since Allen agreed to his extension, with passers like Joe Burrow, Jared Goff, Justin Herbert, and Jalen Hurts now earning well north of $50 million per season. Allen’s placement in the quarterback pay hierarchy is in no way an indictment on his ability as a player—even his most irrational critics would agree that he’s better than the 12th-best quarterback in football—but it is an indication of just how, for lack of a better term, silly the quarterback contract market has become in recent years.

For a microcosm of this idea, look no further than the fact that Mahomes—who is the contemporary face of the NFL—is currently its 10th highest-paid signal-caller.

Josh Allen
Jan 15, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) celebrates a touch down in the first half against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a 2024 AFC wild card game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports / Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

And while Buffalo fans can enjoy watching the Bills pay Allen a bargain $43 million per season in the interim, it may not be long before his agent knocks on general manager Brandon Beane’s door. Allen, who is the only player in NFL history who has totaled over 40 touchdowns in four straight seasons, is objectively underpaid compared to his peers—agents generally won’t let a wrong go uncorrected for very long.

Beane will likely be more than willing to open up the wallet if and when Allen comes calling, as the signal-caller, who has earned NFL MVP votes in three of the last four campaigns, is not only the face of the Buffalo franchise, but a regional icon. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio recently speculated that Allen could be the first quarterback to earn more than $60 million annually; while he may not be the first to get there, the idea of his next deal being north of that mark is not egregious.

Allen’s current contract is set to expire after the 2028 season.

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Kyle Silagyi
KYLE SILAGYI

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