Kansas City Chiefs left offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. will report to camp on Monday and sign his franchise tender, sources told ESPN’s Robert Griffin III.
The blindside protector for quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be playing on the franchise tag this season after the two sides failed to reach a long-term deal before the July 15 deadline.
The Chiefs’ final offer to Brown was a six-year, $139 million deal that included a $30.25 million signing bonus and $95 million in the first five years of the contract, a source familiar with the offer told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. A lack of security with no guaranteed money after the first two years derailed any agreement, sources told Griffin III.
Brown will earn $16,662,000 on the franchise tag, which represents the average of the top five salaries at his position.
Because Brown had not signed his franchise tender, he was not subject to fines for not reporting to camp. He also skipped the team’s voluntary workouts and the Chiefs’ mandatory minicamp without risk of any sort of fine.
The Chiefs rebuilt their offensive line following a dismal performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl two years ago, and Brown was expected to be the cornerstone of it. The Chiefs shipped a package of four draft picks to the Baltimore Ravens that included a first-round selection to get him, and the expectation all along has been that he would sign a long-term deal.
Brown started every game for the Chiefs last season, when he was selected to his third consecutive Pro Bowl, and helped to tutor a front five that included rookies in center Creed Humphrey and right guard Trey Smith.