Why Orlando Brown Jr.'s father had a big influence on decision to join Bengals (2024)

CINCINNATI — Orlando Brown Jr. arrived in town to reshape the future of the Bengals offensive line, and with it, the entire franchise. But no matter how high the hopes or how bright the horizon, Brown never leaves behind the past.

The legacy of his late father, his namesake, shapes who he is, what he does and what we wants to be.

Brown made that clear Friday afternoon in his first news conference with the Cincinnati media after signing the second-largest non-quarterback contract in franchise history, a four-year, $64 million deal that will entrench him as Joe Burrow’s blindside bodyguard at left tackle.

“He had a huge impact on me,” Brown said of his father, a veteran of nine NFL seasons who died at age 40 in 2011, when Brown was just 15 years old. “It’s a lot because obviously he’s not here. He had a huge impact on me, where I’m at in life. He gave me so much insight as far as the game and learning things. Most importantly, being an amazing person off the field. I’m so thankful for both my parents, and I’m thankful for my father for all the lessons taught and learned. I could talk about that for hours, but I just want to keep it short.”

There is a deeply personal pursuit at the heart of it. Brown isn’t content with measuring up to his father, he’s driven to be better. That’s why he insists on being a franchise left tackle. And the Bengals’ willingness to honor that promise is a big reason why Brown picked them over the other teams trying to land him.

Orlando Brown Sr. was a career right tackle for the Browns and Ravens, appearing in 129 games with 119 starts in a career that was interrupted for three seasons by a tragic eye injury, the result of referee Jeff Triplette’s weighted penalty flag striking him in the face in 1999.

When the Ravens drafted Brown Jr. in the third round in 2018, they put him at right tackle even though he had started 40 games at left tackle at the University of Oklahoma.

His quest to be better than his father centered on being a left tackle.

“I have a 2-year-old son, and I preach to him, even though he might not understand, to be better than me,” Brown said. “That was something our dad was big on in our household. He was a right tackle for 13 years, and for a long time he felt like he never got his gratification because of that and not necessarily blocking the premier guys.

“As a young child, I set out to be a premier left tackle in this league. I studied Jonathan Ogden. I studied Andrew Whitworth. I watched Tony Boselli, Anthony Muñoz even, so to be here in this position, it’s just crazy.”

The left versus right debate is what led to Brown’s departure in Baltimore. Midway through his third season with the Ravens, left tackle Ronnie Stanley suffered a season-ending ankle injury two days after signing a five-year, $98.8 million extension.

Brown moved to left tackle and went to his second consecutive Pro Bowl. He felt he deserved to be the left tackle, but the Ravens’ investment in Stanley made that an untenable situation, leading to Baltimore trading Brown to the Chiefs. He started 33 games the last two seasons in Kansas City while helping beat the Bengals in the AFC Championship Game on the way to winning Super Bowl LVII against the Eagles.

Brown played 2022 on the franchise tag, and there were many who felt his best move would be to switch back to right tackle. Brown said the Chiefs never asked him to do so, but the idea of it always lingered.

“I don’t really want to dive into that too much, but I am a left tackle and I’ve played that my entire life,” he said. “Kansas City never personally asked me to play right tackle. But you know, I just felt like there was an opportunity for me to be a left tackle. I’m a franchise left tackle.”

The Bengals agreed.

“It’s amazing to me the success he’s had on both sides at this level,” Bengals offensive line coach Frank Pollack said. “It’s impressive. Really a credit to him. It’s pretty fantastic. For the Bengals, he’s going to be at left tackle, and I’m excited to have him.”

Jonah Williams, the 2019 first-round pick who has started at left tackle the last three seasons, was decidedly less excited. After Brown agreed to play for the Bengals, Williams requested a trade through his agent.

Bengals OT Jonah Williams has requested a trade, according to multiple reports.

This comes days after the team agreed to sign OT Orlando Brown Jr. to a four-year, $64M deal.

More from @JayMorrisonATH.https://t.co/jSlQmuSsDm

— The Athletic NFL (@TheAthleticNFL) March 17, 2023

Pollack said he and the team have had conversations with Williams about the request.

“We’ve reached out to Jonah,” he said. “I’ve reached out to Jonah. I don’t want to really spend a lot of time talking about that. I’d love to coach Jonah. I’ve loved coaching him. There’s an old saying that this is a great game and a crazy business. I hope we get to coach him. He’s a good football player. He’s got a bright future. Hopefully, it’s still here with the Bengals in 2023.”

Brown arrived in Cincinnati fully aware of the AFC North’s rivalries, not just from his three seasons in Baltimore but the stories he heard from his father, who spent his entire career as a division opponent of the Bengals. He told one story of a hilarious moment that happened not far away from where he was sitting for his news conference, just feet outside the Bengals locker room.

“As far as I know, my dad was warming up pregame out here,” Brown began. “I can’t remember who he was talking to, but my dad is warming up and he’s a real rough and rugged guy. And you know, when it came game day, I couldn’t even talk to him as his son. So he didn’t mess around. And believe it or not, Chad Johnson jumps on his back, and my dad’s chasing him around the field. They say the visual was Chad Johnson is backpedaling around the stadium in a circle and saying, ‘Hey, I am just playing. I’m just kidding.’ Long story short, my dad chases him into the locker room. Police had to stop him from getting into the locker room. Team security came out and grabbed him. So I could only imagine how mad he was. I couldn’t even ask for a handshake on game day.”

I almost got my ass beat that day 😟 https://t.co/XQuHOUffTk

— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) March 17, 2023

Before flying to Cincinnati to tell that story and sign his contract, Brown was in New York doing a media tour for TrialNet, the world’s largest diabetes research network. Complications from diabetes is what robbed him of his father at such a young age.

As fate would have it, Burrow also was in New York for an appearance on “The Today Show” alongside Joe Montana and an event with City Harvest, focusing on the importance of helping with food insecurities. So following that event, Brown and Burrow had lunch together, talking about the future of the Bengals in a hotel room over some ordered-in Shake Shack.

“I had the opportunity to get to know him a little bit,” Brown said. “It was my first time meeting him. He was fired up, just like I was. We sat and talked over cheeseburgers, believe it or not, in the hotel room. I asked him a lot of questions about himself, and vice versa, Cincinnati as a whole, the system, scheme, coaches, locker room, all of that. You can tell right away why he’s had the success he’s had.”

Honoring his father by furthering the cause of diabetes research, meeting Burrow, signing a new contract for life-changing money. It’s been a hell of a week for Brown.

But one of Brown’s favorite moments was a subtle one that came on the heels of a slight disappointment. Brown was aware that Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt signed a three-year extension the day before Brown agreed to come to Cincinnati.

Pratt wears No. 57, the same number Brown wore in Kansas City. Brown didn’t even consider asking Pratt for it, electing instead to transpose the numbers and wear 75. But it’s what he’ll wear above the numerals that really had him excited — “Jr.”

In Kansas City, the team didn’t let players put suffixes such as “Jr.” or “III” on their nameplates. So Brown was thrilled to find out the Bengals allow it. For Brown Jr., it means a return to the field for Orlando Brown Sr., and just one more example of having his father behind him, pushing him to be better than he was.

(Photo of Orlando Brown Sr. in 2004: Mitchell Layton / Getty Images)