Back during the 2023 offseason, the Denver Broncos made a big change on their defensive line. Dre’Mont Jones, whom many considered to be a rising star, inked a lucrative deal with the Seattle Seahawks. Subsequently, the Broncos signed Zach Allen, reuniting him with Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph.
When it happened, many fans across Broncos Country were puzzled by the decision. Fast forward several years later and there’s no doubt the franchise’s leadership made the right call. Since his arrival
in the Denver, Allen has been a difference maker for the team and a two-time All-Pro. Meanwhile, Jones has now moved on to his fourth different franchise since leaving the Mile High City.
Yesterday, Head Coach Sean Payton fielded a variety of questions, but spent some time highlighting what makes the eighth-year pro such a great player.
“He has tremendous stamina, so play 38 looks like eight, play 60 still looks like eight. So that’s a big asset at a position where it’s hard. Then I would say his intelligence and his quickness off the ball. He’ll win usually in the first second and a half of a rush, or he’ll win early. So that’s what makes him difficult,” stated Payton.
In three seasons with the Broncos, Allen has only missed one game and has 50 starts. He has racked up 159 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, and 20.5 sacks. Even better? He has really upped his pass rushing prowess—with an astounding 111 quarterback hits and 159 pressures credited to his name.
His presence on the Broncos’ defensive front has transformed them from an area of weakness to one of the best trench groups in the NFL. When asked whether or not there was a next step for Allen to take Payton wasn’t sure. However, he offered a simple recipe to ensure he keeps playing good football.
“He’s playing at a very high level. He keeps himself in shape, and it’s hard to play that position, the snaps he plays. We have to be careful, I’ve said this before, of making sure that we’re rotating him and that he’s not out there too long,” added Payton.
In 2023, Allen played 911 snaps (81-percent) and an astounding 964 snaps (89-precent) in 2024. Last season, the Broncos carried an extra defensive lineman and rotated their front a bit more. For the 2025 season, Allen saw 797 snaps (71-percent) and was still incredibly productive. Even with less snaps, he was just as productive, if not more, in a lot of statistical categories than seasons prior.
Last August, the Broncos rewarded Allen with a four-year contract extension worth up to over $102 million dollars. As his career continues, the former Boston College standout keeps getting better with age and experience. With virtuall
“There are always things to improve on. That’s the really cool thing about this group is that we’re just constantly trying to find new ways to get better. It all starts with ‘VJ’. He sets such a high standard. Yes, we were good last year, but there were still a lot of things that we could have been better at and cleaned up,” remarked Allen.
The Broncos defense led the league in quarterback sacks last season and also ranked high in various other categories. Though one key area for improvement would be forcing more turnovers. On top of that, minimizing penalties on that side of the ball, which extended drives for the opposition.
As far as Allen is concerned, this year’s defense has all the potential to be better than what we have seen the prior two seasons. It will take a little bit of hard work and dedication, but that’s something he and his teammates are looking forward to accomplishing.
“I just want to keep building off of that. There is a saying that you can never stay the same, you are always getting better or getting worse. I’m just always trying to get better every day.”
