After their piecemeal offensive line was demolished in Super Bowl LV at the pleasure of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Kansas City Chiefs did something unusual in the 2021 offseason: They put five new starters on that line, and for the most part, it worked. The biggest move was replacing left tackle Eric Fisher with Orlando Brown Jr., acquired in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens. The Chiefs traded their 2021 first-round pick (No. 31 overall), their 2021 third-round pick (No. 94), their 2021 fourth-round pick (No. 136), and a 2022 fifth-round pick to the Ravens in exchange for Brown, Baltimore’s 2021 second-round pick (No. 58 overall), and a 2022 sixth-round pick..
Brown switched from the right to the left side in Week 8 of the 2020 season after starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley was lost for the remainder of the season due to a broken ankle. Brown was known more as a right-side mauler, but he more than held his own on Lamar Jackson’s blind side, allowing no sacks, one quarterback hit, and 16 quarterback pressures on the left side from Week 8 through the Ravens’ divisional-round loss to the Bills, per Pro Football Focus.
In his first season with the Chiefs, things were less definite. Brown allowed six sacks, 13 quarterback hits, and 26 quarterback hurries on 916 pass-blocking reps defending Patrick Mahomes’ blind side. Not horrible numbers, but not what you want when you’re making it clear that you want to be one of the NFL’s highest-paid players at your position.
That is clearly where Brown sees himself. The Chiefs? Well, they might not be as sure.
From @NFLTotalAccess: The #Chiefs and LT Orlando Brown are not close on a long-term deal with under three days left to do one. If no deal is reached before Friday, I wouldn’t expect Brown for the start of training camp and Week 1 isn’t a certainty, either. pic.twitter.com/XNT6CAwYKF
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 12, 2022
“He and his representation have spoken to the Chiefs in recent days regarding a potential contract extension, which must be done before Friday, otherwise he can only play on the one-year franchise tender,” Garafolo said, via Charles Goldman of Chiefs Wire. “I spoke to Jammal Brown, the former NFL offensive tackle who is serving as a mentor for Orlando, and he said that the sides are nowhere close on a deal and that they’re not just going to, ‘Do a deal just to do a deal.’ Jammal Brown did not get into specifics, but my understanding is the offer to Orlando Brown, who wants to be paid at the top of the left tackle market, which is $23 million per year, are more in line with the top of the right tackle market. Brown moved from the right side to the left side, he wanted to make that move, which is why he was traded from Baltimore to Kansas City. So you could imagine how that is sitting with him.”
How that is sitting with him regardless, there are reasons the Chiefs would be wise to take a flier on a massive new contract for Brown. Right now, they have him on the franchise tag, which guarantees him $16,662 million in 2022, and makes him the ninth-highest paid left tackle in the NFL this year on a per-year salary basis. Brown may want something more like the six-year, $138.06 million contract the San Francisco 49ers gave to Trent Williams in March, but Williams is the NFL’s best at his position — of that there is no doubt.
As for Brown’s prospects? Let’s just say that the news of Brown’s contractual dissatisfaction came across the wire as I was finishing up my list of the top 12 offensive tackles in the NFL today (both right and left, which will publish on Friday), and Brown didn’t make the cut. Honorable mention, yes. One of the NFL’s best tackles? That’s a tough argument to make.
If Brown wants that kind of money, he may be best-served to play on the tag in 2022, take his game to a different level, and cash in like crazy when the league year turns to 2023. Right now, there are too many question marks, and here’s how that looks.