Cincinnati Bengals get Orlando Brown Jr. for 4 years, $64 million
The Cincinnati Bengals confirmed they’re severe about defending quarterback Joe Burrow, signing four-time Pro Bowl offensive sort out Orlando Brown Jr. to a four-year deal value $64 million, together with $43.5 million assured, his agent, Michael Portner, confirmed to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
The Bengals paid a premium to land Brown, the previous Kansas City Chiefs star who was among the best obtainable offensive tackles in free company. According to Portner, the deal pays $42.3 million over the primary two years and features a signing bonus of over $31 million, the very best ever for an offensive lineman.
The signing bonus is $10 million increased than what offensive linemen Ted Karras, Alex Cappa and La’el Collins obtained mixed after they signed with the Bengals final offseason.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets have been amongst different groups that confirmed curiosity in Brown.
He instantly boosts an offensive line that was improved at instances in go blocking however nonetheless ranked close to the underside of the league. Over the previous two seasons, Burrow has been sacked 92 instances, essentially the most within the NFL in that span, and the Bengals’ offensive line has ranked final in go block win fee, an ESPN metric powered by NFL Next Gen.
Brown additionally will develop into essentially the most achieved participant on the roster. He is one in all simply 4 offensive linemen within the NFL to be chosen as a Pro Bowler in every of the previous 4 seasons, together with Jason Kelce, Quenton Nelson and Joel Bitonio. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was beforehand the one participant on Cincinnati’s roster with a number of Pro Bowl choices (two).
If Brown continues to play left sort out, meaning former first-round decide Jonah Williams will probably have to discover a new place. Williams, who had his fifth-year choice picked up final season, has been the workforce’s main starter on the left aspect of the road since he was drafted in 2019.
Brown and the Chiefs could not agree on a long-term contract final season, so he performed as their franchise participant, incomes about $16.6 million.
Brown, who will flip 27 in May, was acquired by the Chiefs in a 2021 commerce with the Baltimore Ravens. He was the beginning left sort out for each recreation besides one in his two seasons with the Chiefs. He was a Pro Bowl choice in each campaigns, utilizing his 6-foot-8, 340-pound body to submit a go block win fee of 91.8% when defending Patrick Mahomes, rating 18th amongst all offensive tackles.
He performed three seasons for the Ravens, with whom Brown was largely a proper sort out. He requested to be traded from Baltimore so he might play left sort out partly as a result of he needed to satisfy a promise made to his late father, a former NFL offensive sort out.
Brown has appeared in 81 video games (75 begins) in his 5 NFL seasons and has been chosen to the Pro Bowl every of the previous 4 seasons.
ESPN’s Adam Teicher contributed to this report.