Will The Chiefs Miss The Deadline On This Star?
The Chiefs’ deadline to iron out the future for this star is July 15. Will the team act before the deadline or enter the season without long-term security?
The Kansas City Chiefs and Orlando Brown Jr have until 3:00 pm to sign a long-term extension. After the team placed the franchise tag on Brown, if they do not come to an agreement by then, they can’t negotiate again until after the season.
There are three options for the Chiefs and Brown heading into the franchise tag deadline. The first option is to sign a new long-term extension that likely would make Brown a top two highest-paid offensive linemen in NFL history. Option two, if no deal gets done, involves Brown signing his franchise tag and playing the 2022 season for the Chiefs at $16.6 million. The third option is if the Chiefs and Brown fail to reach an agreement and Brown decides not to sign his tag and instead hold out for the 2022 season.
The Chiefs Risk Around A Brown Holdout Remains Very Low
Before we go any further there is something important everyone reading this needs to know; Brown is going to be the Chiefs’ starting left tackle for the 2022 season. Only one NFL player has held out an entire season after being tagged; Le’Veon Bell. He cost himself $14.5 million and ended up in the NFL wasteland known as the New York Jets.
Brown already has a reputation of being a headache for general managers from when he refused to sign with the Baltimore Ravens to be a right tackle. He demanded to be a left tackle and forced a trade to the Chiefs. I can’t imagine a team would be excited to pay him big money if he then held the Chiefs hostage as well. So the idea he won’t be on the Chiefs in 2022 is a pointless conversation.
That leaves just the other two options; play under the tag or sign a new deal. It has been reported for months by every sports news outlet that Brown wants to be the highest-paid tackle in the NFL. Currently, that title goes to Trent Williams. He received a six-year $138 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers that included $55 million guaranteed. That equates to an average annual salary of $23 million, which is just above David Bakhtiari and a million more than Laremy Tunsil.
In the NFL, when the next big-time player is ready for a new contract at a position, it is not uncommon for them to ask to be the next highest-paid. That’s how NFL contracts work; if you are a good enough player to warrant a new big contract, they will ask to be the highest-paid. If the Chiefs decide to pay Brown the big bucks, they would need to sign him to a contract around $140 million with $60 million guaranteed. That is just the minimum, most likely, as some reports have him wanting at least $25 million per year which would be a $150 million deal.
I do not think that Brown is worth that much money. He is a very good left tackle, but he is not the best left tackle in football. Some will argue he may not even be top 10, but I think that is crazy. He is definitely in the top five. He is a great run blocker and a far better pass blocker than fans give him credit for. He deserves a large contract, but is a player who isn’t the best at his position deserving to be paid as the best at his position?
Chiefs Should Pay Brown, But Not The Most At The Tackle Position
I do not believe in overpaying for players at any position that isn’t a quarterback. Every other position on the field is replaceable when you have a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes. It is how the New England Patriots won season after season despite going through players as Samuel L Jackson goes through movie roles.
I would be happy to sign Brown to a large contract that would put him in the top five of contracts. Something around the $21 million per year type of contract. He is young and healthy, so to appease Brown for not being the highest paid, I’d guarantee him more. So the average year may be less than Williams, but I’d guarantee him a million or two more.
At this point, it appears the Chiefs and Brett Veach share my view on contracts. We have seen them walk on great players like Tyreek Hill and Tyrann Mathieu just this off-season. They were willing to pay Hill around $25 to $26 million a year but decided to move him when he would not sign for less than $30 million. If they would be willing to not pay Hill, why would anyone think Brown is more important and worthy of overpaying?
I think if the Chiefs were willing to overpay Brown they would have already done it. It is pretty easy to pay someone more than the highest-paid contract, all the numbers are right there in front of you. And if you are willing to make him the highest-paid, I don’t think they’d squabble over a million here or there. So the fact that this deal has not gotten done makes me think they are willing to let him play under the tag in 2022. I would not fault Brown for holding out for all he believes he deserves and I would not fault the Chiefs for not wanting to overpay.
The Chiefs and Brown would have a great season in 2022 with Brown under the tag. Likely, they would combine to win the Super Bowl. The same thing will happen if the Chiefs decide to give into Brown’s demands and pay him what he wants. Chiefs fans can rest easy knowing that either way, the Chiefs will be successful in 2022. What both sides do after the 2022 season will depend on what happens before July 15th. However, we have a year before 2023 so relax and enjoy the 2022 season.
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