The Chiefs’ offseason has seen the departures of key players like Tyreek Hill and Tyrann Mathieu, but the money saved as a result has long been thought to be earmarked for a long-term extension with left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. After the latest development in the negotiating process, the 26-year-old provided some encouraging remarks with respect to a deal getting done soon. 
Brown said that he is “very confident” an extension will be finalized before the July 15 deadline, via Grant Gordon of NFL.com. “Especially simply based off the things that have come into effect within our division, the type of defensive ends that have been brought in, the type of players and all of that type of stuff” he added. “It’s not the year to go into the season with a backup left tackle. So, I’m very confident that the Kansas City Chiefs will get that done.”
The Chiefs traded for Brown last offseason as part of their efforts to rebuild their offensive line. The move gave them a replacement for Eric Fisher, and let Brown fulfil his goal of manning the blindside (as opposed to the right tackle spot, where he spent most of his time in Baltimore). With only one year remaining on his rookie contract, it was widely assumed a long-term deal would be coming at some point.
The Oklahoma product did nothing on the field to lessen the chances of an extension coming his way. He started all 16 games he appeared in, earning Pro Bowl honors for the third consecutive season. As was expected after the campaign, Kansas City placed the franchise tag on him, which will pay him $16.7MM in the absence of a new pact being signed.
Negotiations have been ongoing, but it was reported last month that the former third-rounder is seeking a deal which will place him atop the list league-wide in terms of compensation amongst left tackles. At a minimum, he is expected to join Trent Williams, David Bakhtiari and Laremy Tunsil as the only offensive linemen earning over $20MM per season.
Last week, another hurdle was cleared when Brown hired an agent. Interestingly, he become the first player to sign on with the Delta Sports Group, deliberately seeking a representative without pre-existing relationships with NFL executives. With that taken care of, both sides will be seeking traction in negotiations, as just over one month remains to finalize a deal. If Brown’s sentiments are reciprocated, though, he should have a new contract in hand by the time the 2022 season begins.