Andrew Buller-Russ
Just over a month after winning Super Bowl LVII, the Kansas City Chiefs are now in need of finding a new starting left tackle to protect MVP Patrick Mahomes next season. Orlando Brown Jr., their starter each of the past two years, won’t be back next season as the team is reportedly looking in another direction, one that could include Laremy Tunsil.
Tunsil is the three-time Pro Bowl left tackle for the Houston Texans, who may be seeking an extension this offseason as he enters a contract year. He’s also set to be 29 next season and has only been to the playoffs in two of his seven NFL seasons. Tunsil may very well want not only a raise and a new contract but also a chance to win a Super Bowl sooner than later.
That opportunity could come with the Chiefs, who are expected to find more of a long-term solution than continuing to go year-to-year with Brown Jr. after placing the franchise tag on their left tackle last offseason.
Yet, the Texans know what they have in Tunsil, a top-ranked player at his position who has shown no signs of slowing down any time soon.
- Laremy Tunsil’s Pro Football Focus position grade: 11th among tackles in 2022
- Orlando Brown Jr.’s PFF position grade: 19th among tackles in 2022
But the Chiefs were already paying $16.6 million last year for Brown, and had they placed the franchise tag on him again, he would have been set to earn roughly $20 million in 2023.
Meanwhile, Tunsil is set to earn $18.5 million next season with the Texans as the highest-paid left tackle in the league. If the Chiefs feel the trade cost is worth the price of admission, why not pay Tunsil, who is regarded as the better player, a similar amount that they were already set to be locked in for Brown Jr? We’ll see if it’s that simple soon enough.
Related: 4 Kansas City Chiefs left tackle solutions in 2023
