The Chiefs look set to allow Orlando Brown Jr. to become a free agent after all and will reportedly not use the franchise tag.
The Kansas City Chiefs are starting off the month of NFL free agency with quite a shock with teh report that they will refuse to utilize the franchise tag on left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. Instead, ESPN reporter Jeremy Fowler has word that Brown will be allowed to hit free agency beginning next week.
The commonly held belief for a lot of analysts and fans in Chiefs Kingdom was that the Chiefs would use the tag on Brown, even if it just meant allowing them to control the leverage in negotiations as both sides pressed for a long-term extension for the second consecutive offseason.
The move could be about wanting to let the open market set the price for Brown instead of feeling forced in limited negotations. However, if so, it’s interesting to note that there are two versions of the franchise tag, including a non-exclusive one that would have allowed other teams to negotiate with Brown even under the tag.
Chiefs' decision to not tag Orlando Brown came down to, I'm told, their desire to lock in a long-term LT this offseason. Tagging Brown doesn't do it. It'd basically guarantee he's free in '24, make it harder to do a deal (bc of the $20M number) now.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 6, 2023
They'll look at all options.
Perhaps Brown is going to give the Chiefs a chance to match or beat whatever deal comes his way via free agency, but the Chiefs are running a considerable risk here. The Chiefs also face a potential void on the other side with the loss of Andrew Wylie to free agency, and it’s not as if the young candidates in house offer anything substantial. Lucas Niang is often injured, Darian Kinnard was a total project last season, and Prince Tega Wanogho is best suited in a reserve role—at least at this stage.
Brown is by far the best tackle available in free agency, so perhaps there’s an agreement to allow the Chiefs the right of first refusal here—a good faith sort of arrangement. If not, it will be interesting to see how the Chiefs approach the offensive bookends knowing that keeping Patrick Mahomes upright is the most important part of this puzzle.