Chiefs Will Place a Franchise Tag on Pro Bowl OT Orlando Brown Jr.

Orlando Brown with the Baltimore Ravens.
Orlando Brown with the Baltimore Ravens in 2019. Photo by Mike Buscher/Cal Sport Media/CSM/Shutterstock (10348837ao)

The Kansas City Chiefs are expected to place a franchise tag on Orlando Brown Jr. after failing to agree to a long-term extension with the Pro Bowl offensive tackle. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to report the news.

Brown is the first franchise-tagged player this offseason, but several other high-profile players are expected to get the same news. The NFL teams have a deadline until March 8th by 4 p.m. ET to place a franchise tag on players and prevent them from becoming free agents.

The Chiefs’ move doesn’t come as a surprise, especially considering the price to get Brown Jr. to Kansas City the last offseason. The package they sent to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for the 25-year-old consisted of four draft picks and included a first-rounder in 2021.

By tagging Orlando Brown Jr., the Chiefs have now secured his services for at least one more year for a salary of $16.5 million. However, the tag could easily be just a placeholder for a long-term contract down the line. The extension would benefit both sides, giving Kansas City the ability to lower the player’s cap number and securing a bigger salary and more guaranteed money for Brown.

Orlando Brown Jr. entered the league as the Ravens’ 3rd round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. After playing right tackle in his first two seasons, Brown Jr. got moved to left tackle in 2020 after starter Ronnie Stanley suffered a season-ending injury. Following Stanley’s return the last offseason, Brown asked Baltimore to trade him as he wanted to play LT full time.

I am a reality TV junkie. My dream since I was a kid was to be on Big Brother, but until then you can catch me binge-watching episodes each summer.