Albert Breer reports that the Kansas City Chiefs have checked in on edge rusher Josh Allen of the Jacksonville Jaguars before the NFL’s trade deadline.
The Kansas City Chiefs have already used the NFL’s trade deadline as the impetus to improve the offense and special teams with one deal already for wide receiver Kadarius Toney. it turns out that general manager Brett Veach might not be done. According to NFL reporter Albert Breer, the Chiefs have shown interest in Jacksonville Jaguars edge rusher Josh Allen.
Breer reported that the Chiefs have “checked on the availability of Allen” and that they’re looking for pass rush help. On the surface, it’s a sign that Veach is on the lookout, but to be frank, every general manager is likely making such calls left and right and not just before the deadline. Most teams would want to keep tabs on the availability of young pass-rushing talent and it doesn’t necessarily signal that a move is forthcoming.
That said, Allen is a target that makes sense for the Chiefs and we’ve explored this very idea of a trade for Allen in the past. The Jags are going nowhere fast in 2022 and they might appreciate the draft assets that would come their way in exchange for Allen. However, Allen is an anchor on their defensive front and they’ve already exercised the fifth-year option for him in 2023, so he’s not necessarily leaving soon.
So far this season, Allen has 19 tackles, 16 pressures, 3 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles in 7 starts for the Jags. He has 30 tackles for loss and 23.5 sacks in three-and-a-half seasons in Jacksonville since being taken in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft at No. 7 overall out of Kentucky.
The very fact that Allen is locked up for another season of team control likely drives his price up, which could mean the difference between the Chiefs pulling the trigger or not.