Orlando Brown Jr.'s future with the Chiefs isn't secure beyond 2022, but that didn't keep him from reporting to training camp as the calendar turned to August.
After turning down a multi-year offer in July, the tackle is hoping a better deal awaits him when the window opens for him to negotiate a long-term deal after this season. The franchise-tagged tackle also offered some insight on why he didn't take Kansas City's best proposal before the deadline passed.
"I want to finish my career here in Kansas City," Brown said Tuesday. "To me, man, with the contract situation, there just wasn't enough guarantees."
Brown enters the 2022 season taking an inherent risk by declining the security of a long-term deal to instead bet on himself on a one-year deal that will compensate him at a rate that equals the average salaries of the five highest-paid players at his position in the NFL. Brown certainly won't be short on cash in 2022, but he'll have to hope he can remain healthy enough to enter 2023 in a position to be paid handsomely.
Such potential fears didn't keep him from training camp for long. Brown reported and signed his tag, clearing the way for the tackle to join his teammates on the practice field. For Brown, it wasn't about money as much as it was about giving himself the best chance to succeed and help the Chiefs pursue a Super Bowl title.
"I missed a lot of ball up to this point," Brown said when asked why he returned this week. "I know how important this five-day stretch is to coach (Andy) Reid and everybody here in K.C. I just didn't feel right sitting at home, missing out on this.
"This is something I wanted to be a part of. I was brought here to help win Super Bowls. This week is very important to our progression."
The contract matter will have to wait. Brown's focus now shifts toward preparing to resume his role as the franchise's left tackle, a job he hopes to hold for years to come.
After falling short at the negotiating table, the Chiefs -- a team that traded four draft picks, including a first-round selection, for Brown a little over a year ago -- will still be happy to have him.
"It's not about the money," Brown said. "I want to be here the rest of my career."
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