Will Orlando Brown get the franchise tag again?

On the heels of their second Super Bowl win in the last four years, the Chiefs have some difficult offseason decisions to make, one of which involves offensive tackle Orlando Brown.

The Kansas City Chiefs and Orlando Brown danced around a potential contract extension last offseason to no avail. Brown, holding all the chips, wanted more guaranteed money. The Chiefs thought what they offered him, a six-year $139 million extension that made Brown the league’s highest-paid left tackle, was more than fair.

One year later, both sides are right back where they started.

Unable to secure Brown to a long-term deal last July, the Chiefs placed the franchise tag on Brown to keep him around for the 2022 season. On the tag, Brown earned a fully guaranteed $16.7 million, and a second straight tag would increase his money by 120 percent, giving him nearly $20 million in guaranteed money in 2023.

Brown, the newly minted left tackle who plays arguably the most important position in the Chiefs’ offensive line, may be taking a page out of Lamar Jackson’s negotiations handbook and happily biding his time.

Chiefs will probably franchise-tag Orlando Brown again this offseason

Ever since the former Baltimore Ravens tackle was traded to the Chiefs in 2021, Brown has played his way into the nucleus of the Chiefs’ offense, proving his worth as one of Kansas City’s most crucial roster pieces.

With a Lombardi Trophy in hand, Brown can point to any number of stats this past postseason to show why he deserves his bag: the Pro Bowler didn’t surrender a single sack in the Chiefs’ three playoff wins, he and the O-line allowed Patrick Mahomes to be pressured just 25 percent of the time in the Super Bowl (a down day for the Eagles’ pass-rush), and his dominant one-on-one performance against Eagles’ Brandon Graham was one of Brown’s most impressive games in his Chiefs career.

All this to say, Brown wants his due. The 26-year-old is reportedly looking for more guaranteed money in a future extension and has a few dates to look forward to: March 7, the end of the franchise tag window, and July 15, the deadline to reach a contract extension or else be required to play under the tag.

Chiefs right tackle Andrew Wylie is another candidate for the franchise tag, yet Kansas City has a clearer contingency plan in 2020 third-rounder Lucas Niang who could feasibly replace Wylie long-term.

What’s the backup plan for Orlando Brown? Right now, it’s just making sure he doesn’t hit the open market.