Getty Kansas City Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. on August 20, 2021.
After choosing not to sign his franchise tender, Kansas City Chiefs starting left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. has made the next big move in his decision-making process: He’s choosing to not report to training camp.
Brown will not report to training camp along with the rest of the Chiefs veterans on Tuesday, July 26, according to Mike Garafolo and Jeffri Chadiha of NFL Media on July 25.
From Inside Training Camp Live on @nflnetwork: #Chiefs LT Orlando Brown will not report to training camp tonight. No surprise, as this has been the expectation. So don’t expect Brown anytime soon in St. Joseph, MO, he tweeted without hesitation @AndrewSiciliano @RapSheet
While the decision wasn’t fully known whether Brown would report to camp, a couple of transactions that Kansas City had made earlier in the day hinted at Brown sitting out. The Chiefs signed offensive tackles David Steinmetz and Evin Ksiezarczyk on Monday, per the team, along with placing rookie wide receiver Justyn Ross on injured reserve.
There wouldn’t be a need for additional offensive tackle support on the roster if Brown was reporting to camp.
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What Led to This Point in Brown/Chiefs Timeline?
After negotiations between Brown and the Chiefs regarding a long-term deal fell through, the Chiefs had some strong thoughts about Brown, which were shared by Chadiha.
“There was frustration and there was disappointment,” Chadiha said while on NFL Network on July 19 of the Chiefs’ stance on Brown rejecting their offer. “They really like Orlando Brown Jr. and they love having him be a part of this team, but the money he was asking for was too high for them. They don’t want to not have stability at left tackle here, but they also don’t want to pay top-of-the-market money for a player that they don’t think is the best player at his position in the NFL.
“One front office person said, ‘This isn’t the same guy that we traded for.’ The feeling there is that when they got him from Baltimore is that he was going to be a team player and work with them on a team-friendly type of deal. That was not the case. Right now we’re looking at a situation where Orlando Brown probably won’t be there for training camp and maybe won’t be there for Week 1.”
On NFL Network, @jeffrichadiha shared what one #Chiefs front office person told him about Brown rejecting KC’s long-term deal:
“This isn’t the guy we traded for.”
This is in reference to Brown coming to KC as a team player that was willing to work out a team-friendly deal.
The deal Kansas City offered Brown was essentially a five-year contract that would have paid him $91 million, according to Garafolo. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated also shared that Kansas City’s offer to Brown included $38 million fully guaranteed and $52 million in injury guarantees.
The Chiefs were willing to guarantee his money through the 2023 season, per Garafolo. However, Brown and his agent, Michael Portner of Delta Sports Group, felt that the contract didn’t provide much stability for the left tackle in the backend of the deal, according to Pelissero.
“We got really close,” Portner told Pelissero. “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.”
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.”
Brown Reacted With Like on Twitter
While Brown didn’t post a tweet in which he shared his own thoughts on Chadiha’s report, he did like a tweet from Charles Goldman of the Chiefs Wire, who explained how the reporting done from Chadiha doesn’t add up.
“Some of this report really doesn’t add up to me,” Goldman wrote. “Like everyone knew Orlando Brown Jr. wanted to play and be paid like a left tackle before the #Chiefs even traded for him. The idea that he’s a different guy because he wouldn’t take a team-friendly deal? Come on.”
Heavy Screenshot from Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr.’s Twitter account.
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Chiefs OT Orlando Brown Jr. Has Made Decision on Reporting to Camp: Report