If Orlando Brown Jr. decides to hold out on the Kansas City Chiefs, the team has some options they can call upon at left tackle.
Almost every single long-term contract negotiation in the National Football League seems to come with some level of drama at the eleventh hour. That time has apparently arrived in the talks between left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and the Kansas City Chiefs.
For the last few weeks, both sides have played nice and the negotiations have apparently continued in a calm and quiet manner. The adage that “no news is good news” seemed to be the working theme for the long-term talks between both parties, but that came to a halt on Tuesday with word from NFL reporter Mike Garafolo that the sides were “nowhere close” on a new extension.
Garafolo’s report noted that the teams were approximately $4 million apart per season on a new deal and that Brown was prepared to hold out in order to get his desired security. If that’s the case, it leads to an immediate question of who might take his place in the starting offensive line at the blindside protector position.
The good news is that the Chiefs have some choices here, which means Brown lacks the leverage that he might believe he holds. Let’s look at the candidates.
Joe Thuney
Our friend Daniel Harms was quick to bring up Joe Thuney’s name shortly after the news broke about the contract impasse and for good reason. The Chiefs have already watched Thuney play very well at the left tackle position in his one year with the team.
If you remember the Chiefs’ regular-season matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals from last year, then you might remember the odd series of injuries that plagued the left tackle position. Brown left during warmups and was replaced by Lucas Niang only to see him leave with a patellar injury before the first quarter was even over. From there, the Chiefs slid Thuney from left guard and watched him play very well against Cincinnati’s edge rushers.
Thuney came to K.C. with the versatility to play outside as well as further inside at center, which he did for the New England Patriots in 2021, which only enhances his value to this team going forward. If there’s a short-term need for someone who can step in and provide quality veteran play, Thuney can be that guy and the Chiefs know it.