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Stephen A. sounds off on the Bengals wasting Joe Burrow (2:44)
Stephen A. Smith questions whether Joe Burrow should feel confident about his future with the Bengals. (2:44)
Ben BabyMar 12, 2026, 10:36 AM ET
- Ben Baby covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN. He joined the company in July 2019. Prior to ESPN, he worked for various newspapers in Texas, most recently at The Dallas Morning News where he covered college sports. He provides daily coverage of the Bengals for ESPN.com, while making appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN's NFL shows and ESPN Radio programs. A native of Grapevine, Texas, he graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor's degree in journalism. He is an adjunct journalism professor at Southern Methodist University and a member of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).
CINCINNATI -- Bengals left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. signed a two-year extension on Thursday. And he negotiated it on his own.
Brown took it upon himself to work on a contract that was set to expire after the 2026 season. He approached the team's front office to see if the two sides could work out a deal. Turns out, that wasn't the hard part.
He said, "It's as easy as walking up to [team president] Mike Brown and saying 'Hey, can we get this done?'"
Brown Jr. has been with the Bengals since 2023, when the team signed him to a four-year deal worth more than $64 million. Terms of his extension were not disclosed or immediately available as of Thursday morning.
Brown told reporters that the first conversation about a potential extension occurred in February. He said he primarily dealt with assistant general manager Steve Radicevic, who was promoted in 2025 after being the director of pro scouting since 2018.
Brown said his relationship with the team encouraged him to try to negotiate with the club. "You know to be honest, I think just kind of where we are in today's age of the NFL and also who I play for, I think representing myself made a lot of sense in this situation," Brown Jr. said. "Is this something I would do anywhere else? I don't know, to be honest with you."
Brown, 29, has started 45 games with the Bengals in three seasons. Last year, he ranked 66th out of 68 tackles in pass block win rate as a tackle, an ESPN metric powered by Next Gen Stats. It was his first season since recovering from a broken leg that he played through at the end of the 2024 season. He ranked No. 1 in the NFL in that category during the first half of the 2024 season.
Brown's extension is the third major move the Bengals have made since the free agent negotiating period started Monday. The team also agreed to terms with former Seattle Seahawks edge rusher Boye Mafe and former Kansas City Chiefs safety Bryan Cook.
The Bengals also lost defensive end Trey Hendrickson in free agency. Hendrickson signed a four-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens worth $112 million. Brown spoke favorably about Cincinnati's former Pro Bowl and All-Pro edge rusher who will now line up against him in the AFC North.
"I'm happy for him," Brown said. "He earned that contract. And we get to see him twice a year."
