With a four-year, $102 million dollar extension fresh in hand, Zach Allen is excited to take his game to the next level and help the Denver Broncos win another Super Bowl.
Three years ago, the Denver Broncos and General Manager George Paton made Zach Allen one of their premier additions in free agency.
Since then, Allen has improved every season. Better yet, he has established himself a dominant player along the Broncos’ defensive line. Reuniting with Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph, his high level of play has helped transform the unit to one of the National Football League’s most feared and formidable fronts.
Late last week, the Broncos and Allen came to terms on a four-year extension worth $102 million with $69.5 million guaranteed. The new deal made him the third highest paid interior defensive lineman in football. Allen is scheduled to play on the final year of his initial three-year contract—prospectively keeping him in Denver through the 2029 season.
The extension of the seventh-year pro continues a trend established the past few years under new ownership and a revamped coaching regime. It marks a stark difference in comparison to prior leadership, who struggled to develop and retain key players. After his new contract was officially announced, Allen took his time to thank the team’s ownership and gave praise to his coaches and fellow players for helping him become the player he is today.
“This organization really has set me up for success. I knew that coming here, I did a lot of research before coming. I did have multiple offers in free agency, but at the end of the day it was about you have one career, and you want to make the most out of it,” stated Allen.
All things considered, it’s safe to say Allen has made the most of his opportunity in the Mile High City. Last season, the veteran defensive lineman put together his best season as a pro. In sixteen games, the former Boston College standout notched 61 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, and an eye-popping 40 quarterback hits. For his efforts, he earned second-team All-Pro honors and was an obvious Pro-Bowl snub.
Week after week, he made big play after big play. Whether it was a key sack on third down or an early-down run stuff, he brought his best each and every game. It had been quite some time since a defensive lineman had made the type of impact he had. At times, he was unblockable—showcasing his ability a dominant cog in the Broncos’ wrecking crew up front—helping pave the way for the defense to achieve an NFL and franchise best 63 sacks in 2024.
Allen is optimistic that this year’s Broncos defense can be better than last season. He spoke about how football was his life and vowed to find ways to get better each and every day moving forward. He also took the time to give a special shoutout thank Joseph, who has been with him throughout his entire career, and helped put him in a position to succeed from Day 1.
“I’m forever grateful to Vance. He gave me my start in Arizona, and he was a major reason why I came here. So, to be able to share these milestones across the way with him has meant a lot,” remarked Allen.
With a gargantuan contract in hand, the soon-to-be 28-year-old defensive lineman hopes to set the bar even higher for the team’s 2025 campaign. The ultimate goal? Bringing another Lombardi Trophy to Denver.
“I have a lot of high goals for myself and this team, and I believe we can accomplish all of those here and that’s the reason why I picked here. The fact that we’re at this spot now, it’s great but at the end of the day there’s still a lot more work to be done,” added Allen.