(610 Sports) – The Kansas City Chiefs are electing not to use a second franchise tag on left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Teams have until the 4 p.m. EST deadline on Tuesday to retain pending free-agent players using the franchise tag.
Orlando Brown Jr. spent his first three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens who selected him in the third-round of the 2018 NFL Draft, before being traded to the Kansas City Chiefs ahead of the 2021 season. He has played the last two seasons in Kansas City protecting Patrick Mahomes, winning Super Bowl 57 with the Chiefs. Brown Jr. has been a solid tackle since his days with the Ravens.
Brown Jr. played on the franchise tag during the 2022 season, which paid him $16.6 million. He would have received a 120% raise on that number for 2023 had the Chiefs placed a second franchise tag on him. That number would have been $19.92, but the Chiefs decided against it.
The Chiefs and Brown Jr. now have one week to work out a long-term deal before he can begin negotiating with all other teams on March 13th.
NFL free-agency officially begins on March 15 at 4:00 p.m. EST, but the window for free agents to talk with other teams opens on the 13th.
If Brown Jr. walks in free agency, the Chiefs will have to figure out a fallback plan for the left tackle position to protect Patrick Mahomes. The team is looking to lock in a long-term option at the position this offseason, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB.
