NFL franchise tag 2023: 10 players most likely to be tagged

4. Top Franchise Tag Candidates – Kansas City Chiefs OT Orlando Brown Jr.

Quality left tackles don’t grow on trees and it is rare to see them actually reach free agency. This should be the case again for the Chiefs, who are expected to tag Brown for the second straight year if the two sides can’t reach a long-term agreement prior to the start of free agency.

Kansas City made a big investment in Brown when they traded for him in 2021, dealing multiple draft picks to the Baltimore Ravens with a belief that Brown could seamlessly transition from the right side to the left side. Brown has paid off the Chiefs’ faith in him with two excellent seasons protecting Patrick Mahomes’ blindside and helped Kansas City win their second Super Bowl in four years in February.

Outside of the quarterback, the most important position on offense is the left tackle since they are the key blocker on the offensive line to protect said franchise quarterback. GM Brett Veach remade his offensive line after Kansas City lost Super Bowl LV with Brown as its centerpiece, so he clearly wants to keep Brown around long-term.

The tag should be used as a vehicle here to buy Kansas City more time to agree to a long-term contract with Brown. Failure to get a contract done could lead to some issues with Brown, who would have the option of holding out from offseason workouts to put pressure on Kansas City to pay him.