Orlando Brown Jr. passed on better offer from Jets to sign with Bengals
When Orlando Brown Jr. put pen to paper with the Cincinnati Bengals back in March, he put the entire NFL on notice. The consensus top left tackle on the market chose Cincinnati for more than just money.In an interview with AllBengals.com's James Rapien, Brown said that the New York Jets had a better offer on […]
When Orlando Brown Jr. put pen to paper with the Cincinnati Bengals back in March, he put the entire NFL on notice. The consensus top left tackle on the market chose Cincinnati for more than just money.
In an interview with AllBengals.com's James Rapien, Brown said that the New York Jets had a better offer on the table compared to the one he signed for the Bengals. The Jets' offer came while they were in a waiting period to trade for quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and that played a factor in Brown landing on the Bengals.
"The best situation in the world right now for me is Cincinnati," Brown said. "And you know, there was a few other teams involved, especially the New York Jets was the other option as well, but they were kind of going through things with Aaron Rodgers, trying to figure all of that out. Honestly they had a better price, but ultimately this was the best situation for me."
You can't help but wonder what would've happened if the Jets and Green Bay Packers were able to pull off the Rodgers trade in expedited fashion. How much different things would be? Would other free agents such as Brown taken offers from Gang Green?
The financial incentive was apparently there for Brown, but the 27-year old fresh off his first Super Bowl victory was thinking about more than cashing in on his second contract.
"Now, I mean, it's never been about the money for me necessarily. It's about being respected by the organization and on top of be respected by my organization, continue to carry on my legacy," Brown said. "What I leave behind in this game is most important to me. So you know, when people talk about Orlando Brown 30 years from now, hopefully they talk about how great of a guy I was, how awesome a football player I was, and how many Super Bowls I was able to be a part of it."
It says a lot that a player with this mindset chose the Bengals to fulfill his ambitions. Brown has made it clear how he feels about the culture that's developed in Zac Taylor's locker room and how that can propel the team to greater heights. His arrival can only streamline that process even faster.
Orlando Brown Jr. says Bengals have shared trait with past NFL dynasties
Brown is all-in on what Cincinnati has built for the past few years.
Featured image via © Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
