The Kansas City Chiefs need to protect their superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes on the field at all times. That means investing in the best offensive line depth they can get their hands on.
The team has one of the best offensive tackles in football in Orlando Brown Jr. However, Brown Jr. does not have a long-term contract. The Chiefs used the franchise tag on Brown Jr, and the two sides have until July 15 to work out an extension.
NFL Network's Mike Garafolo gave an update on the negotiations between player and team on Friday.
Big Money Deal
Garafolo noted that Brown Jr. recently underwent an agent change. He also mentioned that Brown Jr. wants to be the highest-paid offensive tackle in the league. The NFL reporter called the outlook for an extension "optimistic."
"Orlando Brown Jr. just hired a new agent, and it's an agent with no experience in negotiating NFL contracts," Garafolo said. "That's what Brown wanted. We talked to him for Total Access when we were doing the show here on the east coast earlier last month. He said that one of his goals was that he wants to be the highest-paid offensive tackle. Well, that is going to put him into the 20s, close to the mid-20s if you want to start there and get above Trent Williams."
Not Done Yet
Garafolo noted that a deal between the two sides is not done yet. And it doesn't seem like the two parties have spoken all that recently. However, Brown Jr.'s camp and the Chiefs have had some communication, and there's no sense that there is any strain in the negotiation process.
"There is going to be some work to do," Garafolo said. "I don't get the sense that there has been any back-and-forth lately, but we're looking at early next week to see if these sides can lock in and get a long-term deal done. We'll keep you posted on that one."
Confidence In Place
Mahomes spoke with USA Today a few weeks ago and revealed how he's feeling about the negotiations surrounding one of his time offensive linemen.
"Yeah, 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, the stuff that's always tough, the business side of this. All of us want to provide for our families in the long term, the next generation. I know he's getting that handled. 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."
Respect For Business
Brown Jr.'s new agent, Michael Porter, did reveal to The Athletic that the two sides spoke in June. And it seems like there's optimism within Brown Jr.'s camp that a deal will get done.
"We had a really good conversation," Portner said. "I respect the way they do business. I feel confident we're going to get something done that makes sense for us and them and really does put Orlando in the category where he deserves to be. We're going to explore all the options."
]]>The Inquisitr
