Report: Chiefs and Orlando Brown Jr. Fail to Agree on Long-Term Contract Extension
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Early this offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs placed the franchise tag on left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., beginning a period of uncertainty as the team and Brown only had until July 15 to agree on a long-term contract extension. Now, without much time to spare, Brown's long-term future in Kansas City remains in serious question and is far from secure.
Originally reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network and confirmed by Nate Taylor of The Athletic, the Chiefs and Brown's camp were unable to reach an agreement on a contract extension and won't cross that bridge in time to meet the 3 p.m. CST deadline. Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Chiefs offered Brown the league's highest left tackle signing bonus and average annual value on a six-year deal, but concerns about "security over the life of the deal" ended up being a hangup. Here's more from Brown's agent, Michael Portner, per Pelissero:
We got really close. We dealing with the Chiefs and we understand their position as well. I’m not gonna let these athletes sign a flashy contract without the substance or security there.
- Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) on July 15 at 10:11 a.m.
Feb 5, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tackle Orlando Brown reacts during AFC practice at the Las Vegas Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Taylor adds that extension talks, to his understanding, were "closer than what was portrayed earlier in the week." On Tuesday evening, a report by Mike Garafolo of NFL Network indicated that the Chiefs and Brown were quite far apart on a deal. Garafolo also reported that Brown sitting out from training camp, the preseason and possibly even the beginning of the 2022 regular season was all on the table. On Friday morning, Taylor reported that Brown's decision on whether he'll show up to training camp will be determined within a week.
Now, without an agreement in place, Brown is slated to play out the 2022 campaign on the franchise tag. Under the tag, Brown's cap hit is set at just under $16.7 million in an inflexible one-year charge. The Chiefs also have the option to place the tag on Brown again next year at just under $20M, and they can't pick up negotiations again until after this coming season.
Revisiting the Orlando Brown Jr. trade
The Chiefs acquired Brown from the Baltimore Ravens ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft, sending their No. 31 overall first-round draft pick (which the Ravens used to select Penn State defensive end Odafe Oweh), a third-round pick (No. 94 overall, used on Georgia guard Ben Cleveland), a fourth-round pick (No. 136 overall, which the Ravens traded to the Arizona Cardinals, who selected Florida cornerback Marco Wilson) and a 2022 fifth-round pick (No. 173 overall, which the New York Giants used to select North Carolina guard Marcus McKethan).
In return, the Chiefs landed Brown in addition to the No. 58 overall pick in 2021 (used on Missouri linebacker Nick Bolton) and a 2022 sixth-round pick that the Chiefs used to acquire former Minnesota Vikings cornerback Mike Hughes and a seventh-round pick (No. 233) which later was included in KC's trade-up for Kentucky offensive lineman Darian Kinnard in the 2022 NFL Draft.
What does the lack of a Brown extension mean for the Chiefs?
Since Brown isn't secured in place long-term, the Chiefs have some more work to do on that front. The 26-year-old was far from elite in his first year in Kansas City, although he did catch on throughout the season and played quality football during the club's postseason run. It would behoove the Chiefs to make him their long-term tackle, but there is some flexibility with multiple other members of the team's starting five up front being on rookie deals. Time will tell if Brown joins left guard Joe Thuney on the mega-contract list, but neither side will find out until next year.
On the bright side for the Chiefs, three of KC's five starting spots have long-term starters all but locked in (Thuney, Creed Humphrey at center and Trey Smith at right guard). At right tackle, a battle between veteran Andrew Wylie, rookie Darian Kinnard and 2020 third-round pick Lucas Niang should provide a solid starter for the 2022 season, and potentially for many years into the future.
