Since leaving the Kansas City Chiefs to join the Cincinnati Bengals, NFL player Orlando Brown Jr.’s desire for success has grown, as has his adoration for former Kansas City Chiefs colleague Travis Kelce.
In an exclusive interview with Page Six, the 28-year-old football player discusses how moving to offensive tackle for Ohio has made him a more voracious athlete.
“I’m so appreciate to play for an organization that allows me to be myself every day,” he tells me.
“For me, that’s created such a … hungrier football player — to be able to just focus on doing my job at the highest level, and going out there, going to work every single say and be myself.”
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Brown was with the Chiefs for two seasons, from 2021 to 2022, and helped lead them to a Super Bowl victory in the latter year. During that time, he acquired an admiration for teammate Kelce, 34, whom he says has brought a new level of honesty to the sport.
“Travis Kelce in Kansas City and everything he means to that organization and who he is as a person [is an example],” Brown says on the defensive back.
He notes that Kelce’s support from the Chiefs lets him to be “[himself] at work and not stress, necessarily, on the outside things.”
Brown expands: “I think a lot of times you kind of see [authenticity] in great players because naturally, the organization stands behind them.”
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After signing a historic contract with the Bengals in 2023, Brown believes he has the same opportunity to fly as his “New Heights” podcast co-host.
The organization attracted him with a four-year, $64 million contract that included a signing bonus of over $31 million, the highest ever for an offensive lineman. Shortly after, he ranked 38th on Forbes’ list of the highest-paid sportsmen, alongside soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo and basketball icon LeBron James.
“It gave me a better sense of comfortability, a better sense of knowing that I’ve got a four-year deal that I’ve signed,” he says, admitting that he had previously played “year to year.”
“I know that I’m going to be here, and it’s allowing me to really pour into the city, pour into myself, my teammates, my coaches, all those different things,” adds the athlete.
While Brown is satisfied with his income, he concedes that the high amount “adds pressure” to his performance on the field.
“It certainly creates pressure. Just because of the conditions, man,” he continues, underlining that he is safeguarding Joe Burrow—”one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.”
The Maryland native, who previously played for the Baltimore Ravens before joining the Chiefs and Bengals, goes on to explain, “People constantly argue that the second most important position in football is quarterback protection. That just happens to be the position I play. I would argue it increased the pressure on the situation.
Fortunately, Brown works well under pressure, and he is excited to relive the euphoria of winning the Super Bowl – this time with the Bengals.
“It was such a special feeling to be able to win it, with my teammates at the time, just knowing the amount of work that we have put in, the conversations that have been had and how hard it is to do,” he tells me.
“As you progress through the playoffs and get closer to the Super Bowl, you must become more present. I’m on point this season.”
While Brown enjoys his place on the Bengals’ roster, he enjoys watching the Chiefs succeed from afar, especially after they defeated the San Francisco 49ers in this year’s Super Bowl, their second consecutive victory.
“I was very delighted for all of them, guy. As I already indicated, getting there is quite difficult. It’s difficult to do it twice. “They’ve done it three times,” he continues, alluding to the team’s 2020 victory.
“And as a new football team, they suffered a lot of difficulty the previous year or two. Having to go on the road and play the AFC Championship game and win a game on the road, the Taylor Swift noise, all of these other factors that feed into it.”
Don’t get Brown wrong about Swift. He praises the 34-year-old pop diva for her ability to galvanize a new and devoted NFL fandom, citing her headline-making romance with Kelce.
“It’s great. I think she’s great for the game. “Just for the young girls at home watching, and everything I believe this would represent,” he says. “This brand is ideal for the game. “I love it.”
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