Jacksonville City Council Member Shoots Josh Allen During Stadium Vote

The Jacksonville Jaguars — who have long been considered the NFL’s franchise on perhaps the shakiest field in terms of long-term feasibility — secured their position in their home market Tuesday night as the Jacksonville City Council overwhelmingly approved plans for a $1.4 billion renovation of EverBank. Stadium.

This is an encouraging development that marks another victory for the health of smaller(er) markets across the league; fans were a bit disenfranchised after the Rams left St. Louis and the Raiders left Oakland in relatively quick succession, but with the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans having recently secured new stadiums on their national markets, the league’s recent era of moving musical chairs appears to be over. .

Buffalo and Jacksonville fans should be united in their enthusiasm. Their respective teams will remain for the foreseeable future.

But a member of the Jacksonville City Council is coming had to try our luck on the bills during the vote.

The shot was specifically aimed at Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen and his position in relation to Jacksonville passer Josh Allen; When discussing the community benefits agreement included in the package, council member Will Lahnen brought up the Buffalo ABC, taking a dig at Allen in his response.

“We are about to pass a $175 million collective bargaining agreement – ​​$56 million from taxpayer funding, $119 million from the Jaguars, which is not only the largest collective bargaining agreement ever, but the double,” Lahnen said. “Buffalo has, I think, $90 million. . . it was the largest amount ever recorded before, and I know we will work in good faith to increase it further. I think at the very least Buffalo already has #2 Josh Allen, they are also close to getting #2 CBA.

Ouch.

Lahnen of course has the right to have his own opinion, even if it is wrong. Allen, from Jacksonville, is an incredible pass-rusher who has become one of the best in the league since being selected in the top 10 of the 2019 NFL Draft. He has recorded 45 career sacks and just finished a 2023 campaign in which he recorded a career-high 17.5 quarterback takedowns.

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And while they play different positions, it’s hard to argue that Jacksonville’s Allen is better than Buffalo’s with a straight face. The quarterback is objectively one of the best players in football: He’s thrown for 40-plus touchdowns in an NFL-record four straight seasons and is coming off a 2023 campaign in which he threw a league-high 44 total scores. He’s earned NFL MVP votes in three of the last four years.

Again, I have nothing against Allen who resides in Duval County: the one who lives in Erie County is simply better.

Aside from the odd football-centric plans layered over stadium deals, it’s great to see the Jaguars will no longer have the threat of relocation hanging over their heads. Allen will have the opportunity to show Jacksonville that he is the best in his name when Buffalo hosts the Jaguars in Week 3. Monday Night Football match next season.

—Benefit from free bill coverage Buffalo Bills on SI—

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