Allen is coming over as the new big man on Minnesota’s front
Allen is coming over as the new big man on Minnesota’s front
The Minnesota Vikings paid big bucks to retain Byron Murphy, their No. 1 cornerback, on Monday. A day later, they reached another lucrative deal so that Murphy can have a new defensive teammate as former Washington Commanders star Jonathan Allen agreed to a three-year, $60 million deal, NFL Media reports.
Released by the Commanders ahead of 2025 free agency in a cost-cutting move, Allen turned 30 this January and missed half of the 2024 season with a torn pectoral. When healthy, however, he’s generally been one of the NFL’s top interior defenders. A two-time Pro Bowler, he racked up a combined 38 sacks and 57 tackles for loss from 2018-2023.
In Minnesota, Allen figures to take over as the Vikings’ top defensive lineman under coordinator Brian Flores. With veteran fill-in Jerry Tillery hitting free agency this week, the Vikings were expected to pursue a running mate for Harrison Phillips, who’s become something of a leader for the Minnesota defense during his three-year stint on the interior.
Prior to missing extensive time in 2024, Allen had been a durable mainstay of the Washington defense, missing just three games over his previous six seasons. His best year came in 2021, when he logged a career-high nine sacks and 30 quarterback hits.