Why Orlando Brown Jr. Did Not Sign Long-Term Deal With Kansas City Chiefs

Patrick Mahomes’ blind-side protector, Orlando Brown Jr., opted against signing the long-term contract offered by the Kansas City Chiefs because there was not enough guaranteed money after the first two years.

“There just wasn’t enough security there for Orlando,” Brown Jr.’s agent, Michael Portner, exclusively shared, “to commit six years of his prime career to the Chiefs.”

The Friday, July 15 deadline has passed. As a result, the 26-year-old offensive tackle cannot sign a long-term deal with the Chiefs until after the 2022 season.

On that Friday the 15th deadline, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Chiefs had offered a six-year, $139 million deal, including a $30.25 million signing bonus — amounts that would’ve surpassed Trent Williams of the San Francisco 49ers as the highest-paid NFL offensive lineman in terms of total value, average annual value and signing bonus.

Portner did not provide those numbers to Schefter but said the dollar amounts he reported were in the ballpark of the Chiefs’ dazzling offer.

“Once you got past those flashy numbers and dug deep into the intricacies,” he said, “there wasn’t enough commitment from the organization past the two-year mark.”

By placing the non-exclusive franchise tag on Brown Jr. in March, the Chiefs had leverage. Their contract proposal was structured in such a way that there was concern from Brown Jr.’s camp that multiple offensive linemen, who were less talented than the three-time Pro Bowler, would surpass Brown Jr. in compensation as he entered his 30s, an age when linemen are still very productive.

Now Brown Jr. has until Week 10 to sign the $16.7 million franchise tender.

“We’re weighing all options right now,” Portner said.

Those options include signing the tender before Chiefs veterans report for training camp on July 26, missing some of training camp, missing all of training camp and missing some of the regular season.

One scenario that won’t happen is Brown Jr. getting traded.

“He can only play now for the Chiefs this year,” Portner said. “We didn’t want to do (a trade). That was never really in the bag.”

Brown Jr. has emphasized that he wants to remain Mahomes’ left tackle. It’s a role in which he takes great pride.

The quarterback and offensive tackle are close, and their young daughters even hung out together last month.

“As far as loving the Chiefs and loving football, there’s not another person in this building that loves it as much as he does,” Mahomes said. “The stuff that’s always tough is the business side of it. I mean, all of us want to provide for our families in the long term and next generations.”

The Browns have played in the NFL for generations. Brown Jr.’s father, Orlando Brown Sr., started 119 games for the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens.

Nicknamed “Zeus,” Brown Sr. last played in the NFL in 2005 and then passed away fewer than 10 years later due to diabetic ketoacidosis.

Those struggles with kidney disease helped forge a bond between Brown Jr. and the 27-year-old Portner, whose father is a nephrologist (kidney doctor) in the Mississippi Delta.

After Portner became Brown Jr.’s agent in early June, he had an introductory phone call with the Chiefs. Frequent negotiations via email, text and phone calls ensued.

“Everything was very professional,” he said. “It never got to a nasty point.”

Optimism remains that Brown Jr. not only will play for the Chiefs in 2022, but also well into the future.

“We left everything on a good note. We’re going to let Orlando figure out his next few weeks,” Portner said. “We’re now excited for hopefully Orlando to go out there and really, really prove that he’s worth a long-term commitment from the Chiefs.”