Josh Allen takes friendly jab at Jaguars with cryptic post on social media

Outside linebacker Josh Allen has been the talk of town the past few weeks. Not long ago, he got a contract extension that makes him the second highest-paid pass rusher in the NFL. More recently, he took to social media to have fun at the expense of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Just a few days after signing a five-year deal worth $141.5 million, Allen uploaded a story on Instagram that said, "Jaguars, why yall do me like this."

At first sight, it looks like Josh Allen is venting or showing displeasure, which would be a huge reason for concern after getting a new deal. However, the former Kentucky Wildcat was just probably having a bit of fun. Before he posted that message, the team's social media team shared a not-very-flattering picture of a young Allen.

That's it. The Jags posted a pick of a young Josh Allen, or as they call him, "lil Jags Core." Then again, it's easy to see why fans might've gotten fidgety after seeing his story.

Allen got the franchise tag before the start of free agency, but the goal was to give him an extension. While talks had been positive, he was growing desperate and shared his frustration on Twitter in early April. He's deleted the message since then but wrote something along the lines of, "Battles are won and lost in the trenches, #watchthe tape".

It's hard to tell, at least from an outside perspective, if the message played a factor in contract negotiations, but Allen's camp and the Jaguars got a deal done just a few days later.

Allen entered 2023 needing to prove he deserved to be paid. Although he had been dominant at times in previous years, he wasn't nearly as consistent as the Jaguars would've wanted, so they took a wait-and-see approach and let him play out his contract. He went on to set a team record for sacks in a season with 17.5.

However, the front office didn't make a strong effort to extend him after 2023 and ultimately had to use the franchise tag to prevent him from leaving in free agency. Fortunately, they've taken care of it, and everyone can have a good laugh.

The Jaguars no longer have to worry about Josh Allen's future

Had the Jaguars not taken care of Josh Allen, his contract situation would've probably cast a cloud in training camp. The star pass rusher has already indicated that he'll attend offseason workouts but it's fair to assume that if he hadn't gotten an extension, he would've skipped team activities. He did so last year.

That wouldn't have been great news for the Jaguars. Not only would it could be a potential distraction but it would have made it difficult for defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen to install his scheme. Fortunately, that won't be the case. Now, Allen can focus on having build off of last year's success.

Not long after signing his deal, he made it clear that he wants to win a Super Bowl in Jacksonville. Similarly, he wants to set the team's franchise record for sacks. He currently needs 10 to surpass Tony Bracken's 55, so he has a legitimate shot as early as next season.

The bottom line is that Josh Allen no longer has to worry about his contract status, and can focus on helping the Jacksonville Jaguars make noise in 2024. Along the way, he'll have a bit of fun.

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