The Cincinnati Bengals remained quiet on the outside free-agent front on Tuesday and Wednesday, but they started off Thursday with a bang. The club announced [a two-year contract extension](https://www.bengals.com/news/orlando-brown-jr-contract-extension-2026) with star tackle Orlando Brown Jr., keeping him in Cincinnati through the 2028 season.
Brown unexpectedly joined the Bengals in free agency back in 2023 and has since become one of the team’s valued leaders. He has started 45 games at left tackle for Cincinnati over the past three seasons.
When he met with the press on Thursday morning, Brown told reporters that he negotiated the extension himself, with Steven Radicevic serving as the primary point person in the talks. Along with a few other players with contracts set to expire after this year, Brown was one of the Bengals’ top re-signing priorities.
“I just wanted to win,” [Brown said Thursday morning](https://x.com/jaron_may/status/2032095085312012363). “It’s one less thing on my plate and one less thing on their plate.”
Brown is entering his ninth NFL season and has provided overall steadiness along the offensive line. The Bengals also re-signed veteran guard Dalton Risner to a one-year deal prior to the start of free agency, helping to shore up the front that played well down the stretch last season.
While the finer details are unclear right now, the move should also provide salary cap relief this year. Brown’s cap hit before this extension was set to be just under $22 million.
We’ll have more details on this as it develops.