In an effort to build their offensive line, the Kansas City Chiefs traded for Orlando Brown Jr. last season.
In return, the Chiefs gave up their first, third, and fourth-round picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, as well as their fifth-rounder in 2022 to the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens also added a second-rounder in 2021 to complete the transaction.
Brown became a Pro Bowler in his first season with the Chiefs and helped the team reach their fourth consecutive AFC Championship Game.
But after one season in Kansas City, the team assigned him the franchise tag instead of offering a long-term deal.
The tag means that he will earn a fully-guaranteed amount of $16,662,000 in 2022.
While that value is good money, it still does not ensure that he will be in Kansas City for long.
Both parties could have used the tag as an extension for contract negotiations.
However, it seems like they are in a stalemate, as NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero revealed.
Portner: “We got really close. We dealing with the Chiefs and we understand their position as well. I’m not gonna let these athletes sign a flashy contract without the substance or security there.”
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 15, 2022
Pelissero tweeted, “#Chiefs franchise-tagged OT Orlando Brown Jr.’s agent, Michael Portner, tells me the sides weren’t able to reach a long-term deal. KC offered Brown the highest signing bonus and APY on 6-year deal, but Brown’s team decided there wasn’t enough security over the life of the deal.”
He also quoted Brown’s agent, Michael Portner, who said, “We got really close. We dealing with the Chiefs and we understand their position as well. I’m not gonna let these athletes sign a flashy contract without the substance or security there.”
What Could Be The Reason For The Non-Agreement?
FanSided’s national NFL reporter Matt Verderame previously tweeted that the stalemate is due to the annual average value that Brown seeks in his contract.
He and his agent are asking $25 million a year which would make him the highest-paid offensive tackle in the league.
But while the Chiefs did not want to pay that amount, they will use the tag to hold onto Brown for at least one more season.
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