Upon arriving in Kansas City, MO, earlier this week, the Chiefs’ newly acquired left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. spoke with the media on Monday afternoon to discuss his thoughts and feelings about joining the two-time defending AFC champs.
Kansas City filled a huge hole on their offensive line by sending their 2021 first-round pick (31st overall), a third-round pick (94th overall), and a fourth-round pick (136th overall), along with a 2022 fifth-round pick in exchange for Brown’s services. The Chiefs also received a second-round pick in 2021 (58th overall) and a sixth-round pick in 2022 as a part of the trade as well.
When asked about his reaction to being traded to the best team in the AFC, Brown touched on a lot of things but summed it all up into one word: ‘excited’.
“To have the opportunity to play here for this organization, given the history of everything that’s gone on here, everything they’ve done lately, coach [Andy] Reid and his history, Pat and everything he’s done and is going to do … I was very surprised to be here. I’m just glad they made the move. I definitely think I’m the guy they want and the guy they need.”
Following an embarrassing loss to Tampa Bay in the Super Bowl last season, Kansas City went into this off-season on a mission to rehaul the o-line. Prior to acquiring Brown, the Chiefs signed guard Joe Thuney, center Austin Blythe, and tackle Kyle Long over the course of last month. Now with starting right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and 2020 draft pick Lucas Niang set to return to the lineup, K.C. is more than set with a completely revamped offensive line.
“It’s a bunch of great people,” Brown continued. “As I said offensively, there’s a ton of talent obviously with the number of Pro Bowlers and All-Pros that they have here with Pat [Mahomes], Travis Kelce and Joe Thuney now, guys like me and Tyreek [Hill], and I’m really looking forward to getting out there and competing each and every day, competing on game days with these guys and just really going out there and giving it my all.”
Going into 2021, Brown will be playing out the final year of his rookie contract before he’ll be next in line for a huge payday that will likely come from Kansas City considering, how much they gave up for him. Before ever taking a snap while wearing a red jersey, Brown said he wants to be in Kansas City for a long time.
“I want to be here for a long time, I do and I’m going to make sure I take care of my part and that’s handling my business on the football field,” Brown vowed. “I know a little bit about the system. I look forward to learning a lot more but I’m just excited to be in the system, to have the opportunity to really showcase my talents. They do a lot of different things here than what we did in Baltimore just schematically, so I’m really looking forward to that.”
That being said, Brown made it very clear that a monster payday isn’t what he’s after, but something that means way more to him.
“This is nothing to do with finances,” Brown said. “This is to do with the opportunity to play left tackle. I grew up with my father playing in this league … as a right tackle. In my household, if you weren’t playing left tackle, I won’t say he disowned you, but he kind of talked back to you.”
Brown’s father, Orlando Brown Sr., played nine seasons in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens and was one of the premier right tackles from 1994 to 2005. Brown explained that his father, who died in 2011, didn’t want the same fate for his son and insisted that he play left tackle if he’s going to play on the o-line.
“Something my father made me promise him was that I was going to be a left tackle and that I was going to play in this league for 10-plus years and be a Hall of Famer,” Brown shared. “My dad understood the magnitude of [playing left tackle], often being the captain of the offensive line, often being one of the better players on offense.”
Brown also announced some high expectations he’s set for himself going into the 2021 season. Aside from learning the playbook and being the best left tackle Kansas City has had since Willie Roaf, Brown vowed to keep the Chiefs’ half-billion-dollar investment as clean as possible.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself and have very high expectations for myself, and that’s keeping Pat as clean as possible, creating many huge gaps and holes in the running game, and taking care of that man across from me on a consistent basis,” Brown explained. “I want to be the best. I want to be the best to play this position in the league. I’m not there yet and I’ve still got a lot of work to do, but I’m going to get there.”
Brown entered the league in 2018 as a third-round pick by the Ravens. He was previously an All-American with the Oklahoma Sooners before becoming one of Baltimore’s top o-linemen. Now in Kansas City, Brown now looks forward towards building a legacy that he and his father will be proud of.
