Chiefs, Orlando Brown can’t come to deal after late negotiations

Orlando Brown and the Kansas City Chiefs could not agree to a long-term extension in time.

Count Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Orlando Brown as one of the players who will be playing on the franchise tag in 2022, as neither party could agree to a long-term extension in time before the July 15 deadline.

FanSided’s Matt Verderame reported on Monday that Brown’s camp was seeking over $25 million in annual compensation to reset the offensive tackle market. While the Chiefs put forth a strong effort to get a deal done before the deadline, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported a long-term extension was not going to be reached in time. Brown will play on the franchise tag.

The Chiefs offered him six years with “the highest signing bonus and APY,” but he did not budge.

Ian Rapoport added “security and structure were the issues” in Brown not putting pen to paper.

Kansas City traded for Brown in a blockbuster deal with the Baltimore Ravens back in April 2021.

Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Orlando Brown will play on the franchise tag

For the 2022 NFL season, Brown will make $16.662 million. While the Chiefs could tag him again next offseason, the three-time Pro Bowler out of Oklahoma will be more expensive and a year older. Had he been able to sign the long-term deal with the Chiefs, he would have made more annually per year than Trent Williams of the San Francisco 49ers, one of the best in the NFL today.

While the Chiefs should be fine this year with Brown under contract for a shade below $17 million, it is a tad troubling long-term because of how Kansas City allocated its financial resources this offseason. They could have tagged all-world safety Tyrann Mathieu, who went on to sign with his hometown New Orleans Saints. Kansas City also traded away Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins…

This is a huge gamble by Brown’s camp to not take the money. Then again, it was pretty risky to trade for Brown in the first place. Given that Kansas City’s Super Bowl window is wide open, the Chiefs cannot afford to waste another year before it becomes too expensive to keep its elite roster together. Furthermore, it is not like the AFC West, or the AFC in general, is a cake walk either.

While Brown is under contract at a set amount for 2022, it is hard to be optimistic about all this.