Getty Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes
With summer break officially underway for the Kansas City Chiefs, the next noteworthy date on Kansas City’s calendar is the deadline to get a new deal done with starting left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.
Since they franchise tagged Brown on March 7, the Chiefs have until July 15 to come to terms on a new deal with him, otherwise, he will have to play the 2022 season on the franchise tag, which will come with a $16.6 million cap hit.
Head coach Andy Reid expressed his confidence that Kansas City’s front office will strike a deal with Brown.
“I’m not doing a whole lot of conversing with him, but [G.M.] Brett [Veach] and his crew are,” Reid said in his press conference on June 16. “And so as long as they’re talking — these things don’t ever happen overnight. That’s not how it works. So they’ll work through it. And I know both sides will handle it the right way and come to a spot that’s good for both Orlando and the team.”
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The man whose blindside Brown protects on the football field, quarterback Patrick Mahomes also shared his thoughts on Brown’s contract situation.
Mahomes: ‘Very Confident’ Brown, Chiefs Will Get Deal Done
Speaking to the media on the final day of mandatory minicamp on June 16, Mahomes was asked what his confidence level was in the Chiefs and Brown agreeing to a long-term deal.
“I’m very confident, just because I know Orlando,” Mahomes said. “I was with him yesterday, actually. So I hang out with him a lot. He loves football. He loves the Kansas City Chiefs. He loves being here in this organization. So now it’s just kind of the stuff that’s always tough is the business side of this. All of us want to provide for our families in the long term and next generations. So I know he’s trying to get that all handled.
“But 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.”
#Chiefs‘ Patrick Mahomes revealed he was with franchise-tagged LT Orlando Brown Wednesday, just hanging out off the field. Mahomes said he is “very confident” a long-term deal gets done. HC Andy Reid once again noted these things take time. The feel is it’s headed in a good way.
Brown’s Agent Sets Timeline for New Deal
Negotiations on a long-term deal between Brown Jr. and Kansas City had been delayed due to Brown seeking the proper representation.
Now that Brown has found an agent, Michael Portner of Delta Sports Group, a timeline has been revealed for when Portner is “prepared” for a deal between Brown and the Chiefs to happen.
“I’m fully prepared for this to come down to the wire,” Portner told Nate Taylor of The Athletic of when he expects a long-term deal between Brown and the Chiefs to happen. “If we get a deal in place a week before (the deadline) that’s the right deal, that’s great. But I’m fully prepared for this (five-week) marathon. Even if it’s something that gets done right before the deadline, as long as it’s the right deal, then we’ll be happy.”
Portner also confirmed Armando Salguero’s report to Jeff Fedotin of Forbes Sports that Brown is seeking to become the NFL’s highest-paid lineman. Brown also spoke on NFL Total Access about why he’s “very confident” that he can agree to a long-term deal with the Chiefs this offseason.