How Orlando Brown shocked NFL world and became a Cincinnati Bengal
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and his new bodyguard, Orlando Brown, met for the first time in a hotel room enjoying cheeseburgers together.
Brown and Burrow discussed what it would feel like to win a Super Bowl together.
The addition of Brown, arguably one of the best acquisitions in Bengals history, gives the team an even better chance of again reaching a Super Bowl.
For a second consecutive offseason, the Bengals’ front office has prioritized improving Burrow’s protection.
So, they went out and signed one of the best left tackles in the game. The team kept it so quiet that even Cincinnati’s offensive line coach Frank Pollack was shocked to hear he might be coaching Brown.
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“It really kind of came out of nowhere,” Pollack said on Friday. “I was not expecting us to be in position to do anything for someone of his caliber. It just kind of came on our radar, with me anyway, the day that we got that deal done. It was exciting. They said, ‘Hey, take a look at this guy, he might be in play.’ I’m like ‘You’ve got to be kidding me. Really? Wow!” So, it was surprising. It was fantastic. It was an exciting day for the Bengals.”
Brown is a four-time Pro Bowl tackle who just won a Super Bowl blocking for MVP Patrick Mahomes. And before that, he protected Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Now, he has the most important job on the team — protecting Burrow’s blindside.
Brown said one of the main reasons he’s excited to be in Cincinnati is to play with No. 9. Burrow has become a valuable recruiting tool in free agency for the Bengals over the last three seasons.
“I’m so thankful and appreciative to have the opportunity to play left tackle for a franchise like this, to be able to block for a guy like Joe Burrow, to be able to play in a system like this, it’s really something special,” Brown said during his first press conference as a Bengal. “I’m super excited for the opportunity.”
With Brown, the Bengals get a player with a ton of experience starting games in the NFL and someone who makes Cincinnati’s offensive line much bigger. Brown is 6-foot-8 and 340 pounds. Brown’s lineage of football is also what makes him an attractive player to NFL teams. His father, Orlando Brown, played 10 seasons in the NFL as a right tackle from 1993-2005.
“He’s got great length,” Pollack said of Brown. “He’s got great size. He’s got really good feet for a man his size. He’s stout. He can displace people in the run game. And I keep mentioning this, it’s amazing to me the success he’s had on both sides at this level. It’s impressive. Really a credit to him. It’s pretty fantastic. He’s a talented player.”