For the first decade of his career, defensive tackle Jonathan Allen couldn’t sniff a Super Bowl contender unless he was playing against one.
Now, Allen can’t get away from them.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport singled out Allen as the reason his new team, the Minnesota Vikings, are legitimate NFC contenders in 2025 at the same time Allen’s old team, the Washington Commanders, are also in the hunt.
Allen, a 2-time Pro Bowler, spent the first 8 seasons of his career with the Commanders, which featured 7 losing seasons followed by a 12-5 record and NFC Championship Game appearance in 2024.
Last season, Allen missed 9 games with a torn pectoral muscle and was released by the Commanders on March 7 to clear $16.35 million in salary cap space. He signed a 3-year, 51 million contract with the Vikings on March 11.
Allen signed a 4-year, $72 million contract extension with the Commanders in March 2021.
“There are some big changes in the Twin Cities,” Davenport wrote. “There’s a new starting quarterback in second-year pro J.J. McCarthy, new faces on the offensive line and in the defensive backfield, and a new big man in the middle on defense in Jonathan Allen. The 30-year-old’s 2024 season was marred by injury, but he has shown in the past he can be an impactful force in the middle … playing on a loaded front that includes tackle Javon Hargrave and edge-rushers Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel could be a dream scenario for Allen.”
Allen Dominated on Terrible Teams
No one was better for the Commanders in the time Allen played for them — before they finally got good — and his time with the franchise was cemented into full viral status with his now-famous rant following a loss to the New York Giants in 2023.
While the Vikings have earned plenty of praise for signing Allen, the Commanders have been on the receiving end of plenty of criticism for letting him leave.
That was compounded by the fact the Commanders went out and signed a defensive tackle for essentially the same amount of money with free agent defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw on a 3-year, $45 million contract.
ESPN called out the decision to let Allen go and signing Kinlaw as 2 of the worst offseason moves in 2025.
“Signing Kinlaw to a three-year deal averaging $15 million per year with $30 million fully guaranteed was a head-scratcher,” ESPN’s Seth Walder wrote on July 10. “Kinlaw has largely disappointed since being drafted in the first round in 2020; even with Kinlaw having a career season in 2024 this is a clear overpay … paying Kinlaw this much to replace (Allen) doesn’t make sense.”
On the flip side of that, ESPN’s Pamela Maldonado had Allen’s contract listed as the NFL’s best free agent deal following the first week of the 2025 cycle.
“Minnesota’s defense desperately needed disruption and toughness, especially against the run,” Maldonado wrote on March 18. “Landing Allen at three years, ($51 million) instantly fixes that. He can stop plays cold and send quarterbacks scrambling. It’s a move that reshapes the Vikings’ defensive identity and significantly elevates their competitiveness in the NFC North.”
