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NFL reporter Jordan Schultz — who has lately worked his way into the mix of trusted sources for NFL insider news — has now reported that the Kansas City Chiefs want to sign their left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. to a new contract before the July 15 deadline.
Make no mistake: #Chiefs want to extend 3x Pro Bowl LT Orlando Brown before the July 15 deadline. I’m told Brown, just 26, has been in interview mode with multiple agents - as Kansas City stands by. Brett Veach is a huge fan of Brown and knows he’s essential to long-term success.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 31, 2022
The Baltimore Ravens traded Brown — whom they selected in the third round (83rd overall) in the 2018 NFL Draft — to Kansas City a year ago, when he still had a season remaining on his rookie contract. After starting all but one game during Kansas City’s 2021 season — earning a 75.4 Pro Football Focus grade that ranked 28th among 83 qualifying NFL tackles — the Chiefs placed the franchise tag on Brown. Without a new contract (and if he signs the franchise tag tender), Brown will play the 2022 season with a guaranteed contract worth $16.7 million.
But if the Chiefs can sign Brown to a new deal before the deadline, they could lock him up for multiple seasons — and probably reduce his 2022 cap hit. Including Brown’s franchise tag salary, we now estimate the Chiefs currently have $11.8 million in salary-cap space.
That process has been held up by the fact that Brown is working to find a new agent. Schultz’s report confirms what head coach Andy Reid told us on Thursday.
“He’s still working to get an agent,” said Reid. “He’s interviewing these different people — so once he gets that taken care of, we’ll be able to roll. I know he’s working out down in Florida, so he is getting his workouts in.”
And all indications are that Brown himself also wants to get a deal done.
“He wants to be in Kansas City — and wants to sign a long-term deal there,” Brown’s longtime mentor Jamaal Brown (no relation) told NFL Network’s Mike Garafalo in March. “He wants Kansas City to understand he’s the type of player who can be there for the rest of his career. He’s a cornerstone left tackle. Orlando has bet on himself and he’s had to face adversity.”
“He’s as dependable as there is,” Kansas City general manager Brett Veach said of Brown in February. “We’ll certainly work and get him done. We expect him to be our left tackle moving forward.”
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