The Kansas City Chiefs have made one of the first major decisions of their offseason, placing the team’s franchise tag on left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., allowing both player and team to continue working on a long-term contract agreement through the summer.
Prior to the 2021 NFL draft, the Chiefs began to retool the offensive line, sending a first-round pick and three other selections to the Baltimore Ravens for Brown, the veteran left tackle charged with protecting the blindside of Pro Bowl quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
By putting the franchise tag on Brown at this point, in a non-exclusive manner, the offensive tackle can negotiate with other teams, but the Chiefs could match any offer received. In addition, Kansas City would receive a pair of first-round picks in compensation if choosing to let Brown depart.
In the 2022 season, Brown played in every game for Kansas City, including three playoff games. He has missed just six games out of 64 possible appearances since entering the league with Baltimore in 2018.
With the decision to give Brown the franchise tag, Kansas City is giving free safety Tyrann Mathieu the opportunity to move into unrestricted free agency. In efforts to fit under the salary cap, the Chiefs have already released linebacker Anthony HItchens this offseason.
