Maybe Jaguars should consider giving relentless Josh Allen a contract extension

The Jacksonville Jaguars hung tight and beat the Indianapolis Colts 31-21 in the season opener. Trevor Lawrence and wide receiver Calvin Ridley stood out on offense while outside linebacker Josh Allen wreaked havoc on defense.

Heading into the 2023 season, there was arguably no Jaguars player under more pressure to deliver than Allen, who had 10 tackles, three of them for a loss, and three tackles. Following the win, fellow outside linebacker Travon Walker, who had a sack of his own, was effusive of Allen.

"Josh, he was very explosive. He was relentless. That was the main thing." Walker told the media following the win. "We came into the game telling each other to be relentless. With us being relentless, there is no stopping us."

The Jaguars' defense limited Indy to only nine yards on their first two drives. However, they later had trouble containing rookie Anthony Richardson. To compound the issue, Jacksonville turned the ball over twice. Trailing 21-17, Allen, Walker and linebacker Foyesade Oluokun kept making plays. Then, when the Jags went up 24-21, cornerback tyson Campbell got an interception off Richardson.

After the game, Trevor Lawrence and Doug Pederson praised the defense for keeping them in the game. Here are Walker's comments, via Demetrius Harvey of The Florida Times-Union.

Jaguars OLB Josh Allen proved his worth against the Colts

Throughout the offseason, there were questions about whether Josh Allen could consistently perform at an elite level. He had stretches of dominant play in previous years but he was also a non-factor at times. He did finish with the seventh most total pressures in the league last year. Also, he ranked fourth among edge defenders in true pass sets.

However, Allen wasn't nearly as dominant as other pass rushers were. He wasn't bad per se but he wasn't great either. That's why, the Jaguars are taking a wait-and-see approach with him. Having exercised the fifth-year option on his rookie deal, it looks like they will wait until the season ends to revisit his contract. But maybe they shouldn't.

Maybe the Jaguars' brass should entertain the idea of potentially giving Allen a contract extension during the regular season. Just days before kickoff, the San Francisco 49ers gave defensive end Nick Bosa a blockbuster deal that pays him a yearly average of more than $30 million. On the other hand, defensive end Chris Jones is holding out while he and the Kansas City Chiefs sort out a contract dispute.

Allen isn't currently in the same echelon as either Bosa or Jones and he won't likely command the same kind of contract. However, he's one of the Jaguars' building blocks and one of their most valuable players on defense, even if he wasn't named team captain like he was in previous seasons.

By not paying Allen, right now, the Jags run the risk of seeing his price tag go if he keeps delivering. It's true that it was just one game. But at this point, they should have a clear idea of where Allen is, and if they think he is the game-changer they thought he was when they drafted him seventh overall in 2019, they should then just go ahead and lock him up. If they don't think he is, they should then let him walk in free agency, or even trade him.

The bottom line is that Josh Allen had an outstanding performance against the Colts, and if he has another great game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2, it will be hard to justify not giving him a contract extension.

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