Orlando Brown’s decision day has arrived; no deal yet, but talks continue

The deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign new deals is 3 p.m. Arrowhead Time on Friday. So at this writing, just hours remain for the Kansas City Chiefs to reach an agreement on a new contract with their left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.

On Tuesday, NFL Network’s Mike Garafalo reported that according to Brown’s mentor — former NFL offensive lineman Jammal Brown — the two sides weren’t close to making a deal.

“Jammal Brown did not get into specifics,” reported Garafalo on the network’s “NFL Total Access” show, “but my understanding is the offers to Orlando Brown — who wants to be paid at the top of the left tackle market, which is $23 million per year — are more in line with the top of the right tackle market.”

Even worse, Garafalo said that if no deal is reached, his information suggested that Brown would hold out.

“Here is the rub: If there is no long-term deal, I’m not expecting Orlando Brown for the start of training camp — or really, any time during training camp. That is my understanding. Remember: he hasn’t signed the [franchise] tag, so he can’t be fined if he’s not there.”

Garafalo even suggested that Brown’s presence at the start of the season could be in doubt.

Days later, there is no specific report of any progress towards a new deal. On Thursday afternoon, however, ESPN’s Field Yates reported that in contrast to other franchise-tag situations, Brown and the Chiefs are still talking. Still, Fowler said, it’s not looking good.

Will a deal get done? At this hour, it’s not looking likely — but it’s still a possibility. And if an agreement isn’t reached, will Brown hold out? There’s not much upside in refusing to play on the franchise tag, so it’s possible that on Tuesday, Brown’s team was simply making the best use of what little leverage was available to them. Cooler heads may yet prevail.

We’ll keep you posted.