With Friday as the deadline for NFL teams and players facing the franchise tag to agree on a new contract, a handful of players are now facing the prospects of playing the 2022 season under the franchise tag. One of those is Kansas City Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.
As reported by Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Brown and the Chiefs were not able to come to an agreement, per Brown’s agent:
The #Chiefs and OT Orlando Brown did not come to an agreement on a long-term deal, per agent Michael Portner. As @MikeGarafolo said recently, the gap was too large. Brown now will play it out.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 15, 2022
The next question is whether Brown, who has yet to sign the franchise tag, will report to camp on time:
Orlando Brown Jr. has not signed his $16.7 million franchise tender. Will he show up for the start of #Chiefs training camp or Week 1? Portner said those will be Brown’s decisions to make and everything is still being weighed. https://t.co/gsldAPXcID
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 15, 2022
As also indicated by Tom Pelissero, the Chiefs offered a big signing bonus and the highest annual value, but Brown and his agent did not believe there was enough security for the player over the life of the contract.
Brown is just one of a few players in this position. Tight ends Dalton Schultz with the Dallas Cowboys and Mike Gesicki with the Miami Dolphins are in the same boat, as is safety Jesse Bates with the Cincinnati Bengals.
For the Chiefs, this might be a blessing in disguise. As noted by our own Doug Farrar recently, perhaps there are reasons for the team to be hesitant when it comes to giving Brown a high-dollar contract.