Orlando Brown Jr.’s biggest desire in his contract extension explains how Bengals were able to get it done so fast
The Cincinnati Bengals gladly gave Orlando Brown Jr. exactly what he wanted.
Cincinnati Bengals left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. inked a two-year, $32 million contract extension during the opening week of NFL free agency.
And he has only him and the Bengals to thank.
Brown noted during his press conference he negotiated the deal without an agent. It’s not unheard of for NFL players to represent themselves in contract talks, but it is rare nonetheless, especially when dealing with Cincinnati.
The 29-year old got it done, and by speaking the Bengals’ contractual language, both sides got exactly what they wanted.
Orlando Brown Jr. wanted what the Bengals’ ideal contract
Whenever negotiations take a long time in Cincinnati, guaranteed money is usually the culprit. The Bengals pride themselves on pushing for multi-year contracts that have logistical outs beyond the first year, giving them flexibility and minimizing as much dead cap in future years as possible.
All of the guaranteed money in Brown’s deal is in the first year of the contract. He has a $14 million signing bonus, and the other $9 million can be earned over the course of the next 12 months, culminating in a $2.15 million roster bonus that will be deposited on the fifth day of the 2027 league year.
$23 million in the first 12 months. That was the key for Brown.
“What was most important to me was Year One money,” Brown said in an interview with Forbes.
Nearly 75% of the new money in Brown’s deal is going to his bank account before the 2027 season starts, and Brown doesn’t have to give a dime to an agent. He did save the club a little over $3 million in salary cap space.
“Giving them at least $2 million to $4 million in cap space would help the team out,” Brown said.
Some of that added space is now being used to pay Joe Flacco like one of the most expensive backup quarterbacks in the league.
Brown’s priorities weren’t the same as every other player who’s approached Cincinnati for an extension, but his case did prove how it can get done so quickly.
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