Four biggest non-draft questions facing KC Chiefs

When will Orlando Brown Jr. get his extension?

We would love to say, both for the sake of the player’s financial security and the sake of the position he plays, that it’s only a matter of when, not if, for Orlando Brown Jr. to receive his extension, but we’re honestly not that confident. Yes, it makes the most sense for the Chiefs to reward Brown at this point in his career with a long-term contract but the Chiefs are capable of anything at this stage as they map out the next era of the team under Andy Reid.

For most of the last year, it felt like a foregone conclusion that Tyrann Mathieu would have received a contract extension himself. The same could have been said of wide receiver Tyreek Hill coming into a contract year. As for players we thought the Chiefs would jettison—like defensive end Frank Clark—it turns out he is still around thanks to a restructured deal. Each of those decisions makes sense in their given context, but very few say any of those coming—let alone all three in a matter of weeks.

That means that we’re not quite sure what to predict about Brown’s future. Here is what we know: The Chiefs traded a first-round pick to get him in the first place. He’s played 100 percent of every snap along the offensive line for the last three years. He’s gone to three straight Pro Bowls and still has yet to turn 26. He and the team have said all the right things about wanting to work out a long-term arrangement.

So when will this happen? The safest bet would be on something happening in the weeks before training camp when the team has more room to consider such things and iron out the details. That’s when other players received their contracts and Brown is likely in line for his. However, it’s also possible that Veach throws some sort of curveball in an offseason full of them, so just leave the door slightly ajar for anything to happen.