Meet the Player Who Rejected $139 Million Offer From Kansas City Chiefs That Would Have Made Him Highest Paid OL Only to Get Compensated for $64 Million by Bengals

Orlando Brown Jr. decided to walk away from the Kansas City Chiefs. The Kansas City team put a franchise tag on Brown back in 2022, allowing the left tackle to explore free agency to the fullest. Orlando Brown Jr. was ensured playing time by the Kansas City Chiefs. Still, the two parties could not meet common ground.

As it currently stands, Orlando Brown Jr. has signed with the Cincinnati Bengals on a deal that is reportedly worth as much as $64.092 million. The deal that Kansas offered him could have seen Brown make records within the league, but for some strange reason, Brown took the lesser one.

Did Orlando Brown Jr. make the wrong choice?

The Kansas City Chiefs offered Brown, a six-year deal worth $139 million with an average salary of $23.16 million per year and a $30.25 million signing bonus. The contract was all set to pay $95 million in the first five years. Had Brown accepted the offer, he would’ve been the highest-paid offensive lineman in the entire NFL.

At face value, the deal also looked good for both parties, and the Chiefs were also aggressive in signing Brown to an extension. The only reason the deal fell through was that it did not offer the long-term security that Brown was looking for. Refusing the deal, however, was risky business for Brown, as he was heavily relying on himself for getting a better offer after playing the 2022 NFL season on the franchise tag.

Read More: After Protecting Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes, Orlando Brown Jr Paid $64 Million to Protect AFC’s Next Tom Brady

Cut to 2023, Brown is en route to the Bengals locker room, signing for a four-year, $64.092 million front-loaded deal. The deal came with a lucrative signing bonus of $31 million, making it the largest signing bonus ever for an NFL offensive lineman. Brown will certainly get to continue with his role, as the Bengals organization intends for him to play left tackle.

While many feel that Brown should not have let go of the Kansas deal, he himself feels that his time with the Chiefs had finally come to an end.

Did Brown want to stay?

Despite having the option, the Kansas City Chiefs did not use their franchise tag on Orlando Brown Jr. for the 2023 season. During the 2022 season, the franchise tag saw Brown sign for $16.7 million.

Right after signing the deal, Brown told the media, “I want to be here, I want to finish my career here in Kansas City. I’m sure questions are out there, but to me, with the contract situation, it just wasn’t enough guarantees.”

Brown’s idea of getting enough guarantees in his contract eventually forced the Kansas City Chiefs and the left tackle to go their separate ways.

Watch This Story: $9 million pay cut by Patrick Mahomes shows he’s walking in the shadow of Tom Brady