The Cincinnati Bengals made their biggest splash of this year’s free agency on Wednesday, signing Pro Bowl offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. to a four-year contract. Reportedly, the agreement is valued at $64 million.
As part of the deal, Brown will get a $31 million signing bonus, which is a record for an offensive lineman. The numbers have been confirmed to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero by the player’s agent Michael Portner.
With Brown in the building, the Bengals are hoping to have a player that can finally provide consistent protection to quarterback Joe Burrow’s blind side. Cincinnati’s offensive line has struggled to block the pass rush in recent seasons, ranking at the bottom of the league in almost all metrics. This led to Burrow taking 92 sacks in 2021 and 2022 combined.
Orlando Brown spent the past two years playing with the Kansas City Chiefs and has helped the franchise win Super Bowl LVII this past season. The Chiefs were interested in keeping him around, but the two sides couldn’t hammer out a long-term agreement. Many expected the team to franchise tag Brown for the second consecutive time, but Kansas City instead pivoted to signing OT Jawaan Taylor in free agency.
Brown, who started his career with the Baltimore Ravens, has been one of the best left tackles in the game in recent years. He has never missed a game since entering the league in 2018 and has four Pro Bowls on his resume.
