Here’s what Chiefs Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes said about tackle Orlando Brown Jr.
The Chiefs’ quarterbacks, rookies and other select players reported as scheduled on Friday for the early stages of the team’s annual summer training camp at Missouri Western State University.
The rest of the Chiefs’ veterans are expected to follow suit on Monday, but tackle Orlando Brown Jr. might not be among them.
Brown and the Chiefs didn’t come to an agreement on a long-term deal by the NFL’s mandated deadline on July 15, and the three-time Pro Bowl left tackle hasn’t signed his $16.6 million franchise tag for the 2022 season. So he’s not under contract.
While there is uncertainty about Brown’s presence for training camp, he isn’t far from the Chiefs’ minds.
“I talk to Orlando all the time,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said Friday. “Me and him have a great relationship.
“Obviously, we wanted to get the deal done, I’m sure he wanted to get the deal done and everything like that, but at the end of the day, we’re going to go out there and play football. I’m excited for him to be here and be a part of the team again.”
When, exactly, that Brown will join the rest of the team remains to be seen, but coach Andy Reid made it clear on Friday that he understands the business side of football.
“This type of thing in professional sports goes on,” Reid said. “You work through it. You work through it as a player, you work through it as a team and move forward.”
Brown didn’t participate in organized team activities (OTAs) or June’s mandatory minicamp. Not being around for on-field work during training camp ahead of the regular season is cause for some concern because he’ll miss out on newly installed plays and opportunities to build camaraderie with multiple new teammates.
Mahomes, however, believes Brown has been doing his part to stay ready even while away from the team.
“He’s a great team player,” Mahomes said. “He’s one of the smartest football players I’ve every played with. He has a high IQ. I remember, even when he wasn’t at OTAs, he was asking me questions, he’s watching the film, he’s doing everything to make sure when he steps here, he’s ready to go.”
Without Brown on the field, the Chiefs have other options to hold down the left tackle spot during training camp — and perhaps even during their preseason games.
Reid said starting left guard Joe Thuney, who was an emergency fill-in for Brown in Week 17 last season, could step up if needed. The Chiefs also got a good look at backup tackles Geron Christian and Roderick Johnson throughout OTAs and minicamp.
“If he’s here, great, and if he’s not, we move on,” Reid said. “That’s how we’ve done it in the past.
“This isn’t the first time I’ve been through something like this, so my thing is we just go. And whoever the next guy is that’s going to step in there — we know Joe Thuney can do it in a heartbeat — so if we need to go that direction, we can go that direction. We’ve got some new faces in there that can also do it.”
Ultimately, Brown controls the timetable for when he’ll sign the franchise tag and report for training camp. And when that happens, he’ll be welcomed with open arms in St. Joe.
“You want him to be here just because of the guy he is,” Mahomes said. “He’s a leader on this football team, but at the same time when it comes to money and contracts, and stuff like that, I’ve never kind of forced anyone to do anything because I know they’re trying to provide for their family long-term.
“But as a teammate and as a friend, you want him to be here and be a part of this because it’s always a good atmosphere when you’re out here in St. Joe. You’re going to be in the building, eat together and practice together.”
This story was originally published July 22, 2022 at 4:01 PM.
