Jonathan Allen contract: How much will WFT's defensive lineman earn?
Jonathan Allen signed his long-awaited contract extension this week with the Washington Football Team. Allen, who was entering the final year of his rookie contract, would have become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2021 NFL season if an extension had not been reached before then.
How much is Jonathan Allen's contract worth?
Jonathan Allen signed a four-year extension with the Washington Football Team worth $72 million, which is about $18 million each year. Allen will also take home a cool $30 million as a signing bonus.
Allen has been a reliable piece in a young Washington defensive line. Although Allen's numbers weren't outstanding in 2020, his presence alone made it difficult for opponents to find a way through. Allen had two sacks and 63 tackles last season.
At just 26, Allen is the oldest member of the line as he plays alongside Montez Sweat, Daron Payne and Chase Young. Jonathan Allen is also one of the best pass rushers in the game, ranked fifth going into the 2021 season.
A known "disruptor" on defense, he won't have the highest stats among the rest of the defensive line, but he will cause the most noise and chaos, which leads to his teammates getting the sacks.
Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera reportedly wanted to get the contract extension with Jonathan Allen wrapped up before the start of the regular season. Rivera and Washington were hoping to keep the entire defensive line in place from last year. Having drafted and developed all of them, Washington is creating a solid line that they will be able to count on for years to come.
Allen's college career
Defensive tackle Jonathan Allen was selected by the Washington Football Team in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft (17th overall selection) out of Alabama. At the collegiate level, Jonathan Allen had 152 tackles and 28 sacks. As a member of the Crimson Tide, Allen won the College Football National Championship in 2015 and was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2016.
In 2016, Jonathan Allen won the Bronko Nagurski Award (Best Collegiate Defensive Player), the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Lombardi Award while playing at Alabama, a tall task for any defensive player to do in one college football season.
Jonathan Allen's rookie contract was a four-year deal worth $11.5 million with a guaranteed amount of $6.57 million. Last spring, the Washington Football Team picked up the fifth-year option on Allen's rookie deal, which will be in effect this year.