BUFFALO, N.Y. [WKBW] — Taron Johnson has been one of the Buffalo Bills most important players since joining the team in 2018 and he's being rewarded for his efforts.
On Monday, the Bills agreed to terms on a three-year extension with Johnson, a league source tells 7 Sports. Johnson was entering the final year of his contract and with his extension, he is now under contract through the 2027 season.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the deal will make Johnson the highest-paid nickel back in the NFL.
Johnson, 27, had 72 solo tackles and 98 total tackles in 2023, both of which were career bests. He also had a sack, three forced fumbles, and eight passes defended this past season.
Throughout his career, Johnson has had a knack for making big plays in big moments and he's been reliable in both the run and pass game. In 2023, he started every game for the Bills and missed only one game the year before.
Bove's Take:
Johnson is arguably the most under-appreciated player on the Bills roster. He is so important to what the Bills can do on defense and locking him in for the next four years is a great move [final year + extension].
It also helps them in the short term with the team's salary cap situation. While the details of the contract are not yet public, there's a very strong chance the Bills were able to stretch his 2024 salary over the next few seasons to free up cap space this offseason.
As Schefter pointed out in his initial report, Johnson's new deal will make him the highest-paid nickel back in the NFL. For reference, Kenny Moore signed a three-year $30 million extension last week, so expect Johnson's deal to be a little higher.
Johnson is worth the price tag and the extra cap space created makes this deal a no-brainer for Brandon Beane and his staff.
