Kansas City Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. is playing on a franchise tag this season after extension talks stalled last offseason.
There’s been plenty of speculation about Brown Jr. signing an extension with the team this upcoming offseason, but he’s putting all of the outside forces aside ahead of the Chiefs’ AFC Championship Game matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals this weekend.
He was asked whether his contract situation was weighing on him in Kansas City’s Friday press conference, and left no doubt about where his mind is at.
“Yeah, just understanding that for me, right now, the current goal is winning a Super Bowl,” Brown Jr. explained. “And that’s really just been my focus, and as far as all those other things, that will be taken care of by my agent and however things are worked out on the business side. So, I just try to focus on that goal and to me, that’s what’s most important right now.”
Kansas City’s fate in Sunday’s game will be decided by their offensive line’s ability to keep Patrick Mahomes upright and unscathed for the duration of the matchup. Brown’s comments are admirable for a player who is operating in a less-than-ideal situation relative to his contract. If he can manage to hold up his end of the bargain against the Bengals this weekend, he could force the Chiefs’ hand in negotiations in the coming months.
