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Not going anywhere: Jaguars pick up Josh Allen’s fifth-year option

Jacksonville Jaguars outside linebacker Josh Allen (41) celebrates after sacking Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton) (Stephen B. Morton, Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jaguars have picked up the fifth-year option on edge rusher Josh Allen.

Picking up Allen’s fifth-year option means that his salary for 2023 — projected to be $11.5 million according to OverTheCap.com — becomes fully guaranteed. Only first-round picks are eligible for fifth-year options.

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The deadline for teams to pick up the fifth-year option is Monday.

Allen’s best season in Jacksonville was his rookie year in 2019. He played in all 16 games and had a career-best 10.5 sacks and forced two fumbles.

Allen made the Pro Bowl that season. A knee injury in 2020 limited him to eight games in an all-around miserable season for the franchise. The Jaguars went 1-15 and earned the No. 1 pick in the draft for the first time.

Allen had a bounceback 2021 season, including the best single-game performance of his career in a 9-6 win over the Bills. Allen had eight tackles, a sack, an interception and a fumble recovery.

Allen was the seventh overall pick in the 2019 draft out of Kentucky. The next decision on a fifth-year option will come next spring with linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson, Jacksonville’s second No. 1 selection from the 2020 draft. Chaisson has had an underwhelming start to his NFL career, although not as much as its other first-round pick from that draft, CJ Henderson.

He was dealt to the Panthers after one season.

Among other recent first-round picks of the Jaguars in recent history, the team has had a poor track record in keeping those top picks around.

Luke Joeckel (2013), Dante Fowler (2015) and Taven Bryan (2018) had their fifth-year options declined.

Leonard Fournette (2017) was released before his fourth year began. Jacksonville picked up Jalen Ramsey’s fifth-year option (2016) but he was traded.

Blake Bortles (2014) had his option picked up and later signed a contract extension following the team’s surprising run to the AFC title game in 2017.


About the Author
Justin Barney headshot

Justin Barney joined News4Jax in February 2019, but he’s been covering sports on the First Coast for more than 20 years.

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