Reports: Bengals signing four-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle

According to multiple reports, Cincinnati is signing former Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. to a four-year, $64.092 million contract, which NFL Network national insider Ian Rapoport reported is 67.87 percent fully guaranteed with $42.3 million through Year 2 and $49.9 million through Year 3. He gets a $31 million signing bonus, the highest ever for an offensive lineman.

It’s a price the Bengals were willing to pay to protect Joe Burrow, whose rookie contract enables the organization to front-load Brown’s contract before a big extension kicks in for the young quarterback. Brown is a four-time Pro Bowl tackle who was a third-round draft pick of the Ravens in 2018 but spent the past two seasons blocking for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, including helping the team to a Super Bowl title last month.

Brown has played both ends of the line in his five seasons but indicated to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo he would be playing left tackle for the Bengals, which creates some uncertainty for Jonah Williams’ future. Both tackle spots were a concern going into this offseason, particularly at right tackle where La’el Collins played until his Dec. 24 ACL and MCL tear put his 2023 season in jeopardy.

Even before the injury, Collins didn’t meet expectations when he signed to help fortify the offensive line last offseason. He allowed 34 pressures with five sacks and drew eight penalties, according to Pro Football Focus, which also gave him one of the lowest pass-blocking grades among all starting offensive tackles last season.

The Bengals could also save up to $7.7 million in cap space by releasing him.

If that’s the case, Williams would seem to be the best option at right tackle, but offensive coordinator Brian Callahan seemed against the idea of switching Williams when speaking to media at the NFL Combine two weeks ago.

“It’d be tough,” Callahan said. “He’s spent his whole career, really, especially as a pro, as a left tackle. Moving him would probably be pretty difficult. It’s probably not something that he would be necessarily excited about, either. I’m sure as a team first guy, he would do it if that’s what was best for us. But that’s a hard switch to make for a guy that’s played a lot of snaps at left tackle over the course of his career and very minimal at right. He did some at Alabama but as far as a pro, that’s a pretty difficult switch.”

Cincinnati has at least two other spots on the offense to fill this offseason with tight end Hayden Hurst (Carolina) and running back Samaje Perine (Denver) departing in free agency. The defense has even bigger holes at safety with Jessie Bates (Atlanta) and Vonn Bell (Carolina) both leaving and cornerback Eli Apple now a free agent.

On Thursday, the Bengals announced the return of running back and kick returner Trayveon Williams on a one-year deal, and wide receiver/punt returner Trent Taylor is signing a one-year extension as well, but the organization is still looking at additions. Former Rams safety reportedly was scheduled for a visit to Cincinnati, and offensive guard Cody Ford was visiting Thursday, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.