Orlando Brown discusses the trade from Ravens to KC Chiefs

The worry about the 2021 season was that the K.C. Chiefs needed to do something to find a way to patch the hole at left tackle. For Orlando Brown Jr., he’s hoping the relationship between player and team lasts a lot longer than that.

The Chiefs officially introduced their newest arrival to the media on Monday as Brown sat down to talk to reporters from Arrowhead about the blockbuster trade that brought him to town, his growth as a player, the importance of playing left tackle and more. As part of his remarks, Brown confirmed that he’s prepared to play out this season under his rookie deal but that he’s hoping the Chiefs will offer a long-term extension in time.

“I want to be here for a long time. I do. And I’m going to make sure I take care of my part and that’s handling my business on the football field,” he said.

With one week to go before the 2021 NFL Draft, the Chiefs decided last week to officially address the left tackle spot before having to depend on a rookie performer when they traded a first, third, and fourth-round pick in this year’s draft along with a fifth round pick next spring in exchange for Brown and two additional selections (a second round pick this year and a sixth in 2022).

The K.C. Chiefs introduced Orlando Brown to the media on Monday.

Rumors immediately surfaced that Brown would play out the rookie deal in ’21, which comes to a mere $3.3 million cap hit. The Chiefs can then work out something long-term next offseason knowing they have the franchise tag to use on Brown for one year and potentially another to retain control.

For Brown, the trade to the Chiefs was “crazy” when he first heard. He says he was working out at the University of Oklahoma when his agent called with the news.

“I was in Norman, Oklahoma at the Everest, an indoor facility, taking pass sets when my agent called and he was just like, ‘Are you ready to be a Chief?’ Honesty I was a little bit overwhelmed. It was a little hard for me to wrap my mind around getting traded to a situation like this, which I think is the best in the league going from what I came from. Man, like I said, it was so overwhelming emotionally. I’m just so happy and so blessed to be here.”

Brown said that Mahomes and others from the team have already reached out to greet him and he’s anxious to learn what he can about an offense that has overwhelmed the Ravens each time they’ve played in recent years. For Brown, the switch in teams is also a chance to make left tackle his own position after watching the Ravens commit long-term to Ronnie Stanley, which is why he was available via trade in the first place.

“Going to games growing up, my dad [former NFL tackle Orlando Brown] would tell me straight up, ‘Hey, watch Jonathan Ogden. Don’t watch me! Watch his game, study his game. Study Tony Boselli. Watch Anthony Munoz. Watch Trent Williams. Watch Bryant McKinnie, all these guys. He would tell me, ‘Don’t watch my film.’ Obviously I did because it’s my father, but he would tell me, ‘Watch the left tackle.’ It was just kind of ingrained in me at a young age and, like I said, it was a dream that I set.”

The move was a dream for the Chiefs as well after watching Eric Fisher go down in the AFC Championship game with a severe injury (Achilles). Fisher faced a long offseason of recovery and rehabilitation, and the Chiefs decided to wipe the slate clean by releasing him and fellow tackle Mitchell Schwartz. The move saved millions against the cap, but it also left them without reliable options outside on a line that was exposed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV.

Brown, who has not yet turned 25, has already made two Pro Bowl appearances in only three seasons in the league.