The Denver Broncos have signed star defensive lineman Zach Allen to a massive $100 million extension with nearly $70 million guaranteed, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Saturday. The full terms, per Schefter: a four-year, $102 million extension with $69.5 million guaranteed.
Allen, 27, was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2019 NFL draft. After spending four seasons there he signed with Denver in free agency. Last season was Allen's best yet, as he recorded a career-high 8.5 sacks and a whopping 40 quarterback hits, a huge number for an interior defensive lineman. For his troubles Allen was named second-team All-Pro.
The Boston College product is a key talent for Denver's defense and the Broncos get a deal done entering a season with high expectations. Sean Payton helped lead the team back to the postseason in his first season as head coach, but with a young QB in Bo Nix under center Denver relies on its defense quite a bit to win games. Allen is critical to that end as the second-most important player on the unit behind only fellow All-Pro Patrick Surtain.
Allen was set to enter the final year of his deal in 2025. The Broncos clearly didn't want to let him even sniff free agency. He'll be in Denver for a while yet.
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