KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Orlando Brown Jr. had more than a few ways he could have played this — even if just one involved sound reasoning.
He probably had more than a few emotions about it all too, some of which would have pulled him in contrasting directions.
In the end, he chose logic.
To hell with spite.
Brown arrived at Chiefs training camp in St. Joseph on Monday, though not in time to participate in the morning practice, but he’s apparently prepared to sign his franchise tender and embark on his 2022 season.
He’s late.
But earlier than required.
Brown skipped the initial five days of camp — including all of the non-padded practices; the pads came on Monday — after he and the Chiefs failed to reach a long-term contract agreement. The two sides cannot return to the conversation about finances until the 2022 season concludes. Brown will instead play on the franchise tag this year, which granted him the option of skipping training camp.
That’s an enticing option when the organization rebuffs your contract request, though an illogical one, particularly in this case. And I’m not talking from some sort of team-first perspective. I’m referencing self-interest.
While his arrival only enhances the thought that the Chiefs made the right decision in letting Brown play on the tag rather than budging — their lone risk is now gone — Brown made the decision that will offer him the best chance to earn the payday he seeks.
He showed up.
It’s the long game, but now he’s best equipped to play it.
Electing to to sit out could have off-set some short-term bitterness — and let’s face it, that’s the attraction for many in similar circumstances — but it had the potential to leave some long-term repercussions in its wake. The Chiefs need Brown, but Brown really needs this season, too.
He is a bit of an unusual case, because by the time players reach the finality of their rookie deals, you typically know what they are as an NFL contributors. Or at least what to expect. Sure, there are exceptions, as with most things in this sport.
Brown, on the other hand, is not completely unknown, but he’s perhaps a lesser known. His career began as a right tackle in Baltimore before the full-time move to the left side in Kansas City a year ago, and he, of course, wants to be paid as a left tackle.
Well, as a left tackle, he remains in the prove-it stage.
Now’s his chance.
There’s where what’s being billed as a team-first decision to drive to St. Joseph turns personally beneficial. To be fair, his presence here probably is at least partially team-motivated. On Monday, teammate Travis Kelce called him one of the most popular guys in the locker room, terming him “one of our leaders.” That falls in line with the choice Brown made this week.
But no one has more to gain than he does. That isn’t necessarily an effect in the mentality of his return, but it’s very much at the forefront in his future. He might not just need to prove he can repeat what he did last year — he might need to prove he can be better.
Hard to do that from home.
That’s actually where his abbreviated track record as a left tackle offers optimism. He’s not performed like a top-5 left tackle, but he clearly improved as last season progressed. What’s to say that can’t continue? He can now build off that, not play catch-up as the regular season neared.
Although he is one week behind, that’s better than one month.
“It’s hard to mimic game speed and putting on the uniform and so on — the helmet and pads on — when you’re doing stuff on your own,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “You gotta go through that to get yourself right. He understands that.”
That’s Part I.
Part II? Use this as motivation, not a weight or burden.
The contract year being undefeated might be a popular phrase, but it’s not accurate across the board. Players handle the pressure of it differently. Former Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu said the lack of security in his long-term future loomed over his entire season in 2021. That’s a real thing. NFL players are all built differently. Motivated differently. React differently.
How will Brown respond?
He provided a pretty good indication Monday.
The contract might not be in place.
But he is.
