Josh Allen didn't want new deal to 'kill' Bills' salary cap - ESPN

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Josh Allen, coming off his first MVP season and the best year of his career, certainly could have sought a new deal that broke all records for NFL contracts.

But doing so wasn't what mattered most to the Buffalo Bills quarterback.

Allen made history with his recent six-year, $350 million extension by receiving more guaranteed money — $250 million — than any other player. The deal's average annual value of $55 million, however, is tied for the second-highest in the NFL and pays Allen $5 million less annually than Dak Prescott's contract with the Dallas Cowboys.

«It didn't seem like from my perspective I was taking a whole lot less,» Allen said Wednesday, three days after agreeing to the deal with the Bulls. «But the way I make sense of it, when you start getting these fairly big numbers throughout the entire league — it's weird to say this — but what is ($5 million) more going to do for my life that I can't already do right now? It's not that crazy to me.

»I live a pretty good life. Got a house, got a car. We're good."

Allen shared that he instructed his agent, Patrick Collins, not to negotiate a deal that would significantly impact Buffalo's salary cap.

«I wasn't looking to absolutely kill them at every chance I could, and I told my agent that,» Allen said. «I was like, 'If it has any impact on the cap, let's figure out a way to not do that.'

»Both sides were willing to move and change different things, and it was a pretty calm-mannered negotiation is what I can say from both sides."

The Bills have been active in the early portion of free agency, signing their own players to extensions — including wide receiver Khalil Shakir, linebacker Terrel Bernard and defensive end Greg Rousseau — and agreeing to