Geoff Hobson

Left tackleOrlando Brown Jr., a Bengals cornerstone as a captain and Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee, can add agent to his resume.

As he headed into the final year of his deal, Brown negotiated his one-year extension that keeps him in what he calls a 'dream scenario,' through the 2027 season in a deal announced Thursday.

He remains the prime protector for one of the best passers in the game in Pro Bowl quarterbackJoe Burrowon an AFC contender that plays in the division his father helped mold.

"The city, the team, this is what I envisioned for myself," says Brown, son of the late Orlando "Zeus," Brown Sr., the massive mauling right tackle for Cleveland and Baltimore as the rough-and-tough AFC Central morphed into the brutally tight AFC North.

"Having that stability. Being somewhere I want to be. I think the feeling is mutual from upstairs down."

Brown feels comfortable enough to climb those stairs (sans agent) and talk to ownership, whether it be Bengals president Mike Brown or his daughter, executive vice president Katie Blackburn, who oversees the salary cap and contracts. This time the discussions were about extending the four-year, $64 million deal that made Brown the biggest free-agent signing in Bengals history.

Brown figured it took about three sessions with assistant general manager Steven Radecivic in his Paycor Stadium office and over the phone to finalize it.

"The Blackburn family and the Brown family made this a smooth negotiation," Brown says. "Steve was great just being honest and up front.

"The deal creates a sense of stability for myself and the organization. I didn't necessarily feel the need to reset the market. We have great players in this locker room. It's rare for a player to say, but making it team friendly The way that I see it, it puts me and my family and the organization in a good spot."

Brown turns 30 on May 2 and has pretty much done it all with a Super Bowl ring, four Pro Bowl berths and franchise tag during eight seasons. Now, on the first extension of his career, he's looking to win a Super Bowl in his city and locker room of choice.

"The city has taken me in with my work in the community," says Brown, the club's 2024 Man of the Year nominee for his work in diabetes research. "The people have that blue-collar mindset. This is a hard-working city. They love their Bengals football. It's a football city.

"I've got tremendous relationships in the locker room that have grown with guys like Joe,JaMarr (Chase),Chase Brown. I could name so many men in there. It's just continuing to build on that culture on the way to winning a Super Bowl."

Along with centerTed Karras, Brown is the leader of an offensive line room that's coming off its best season of the Burrow era. The emergence of 2024 first-rounderAmarius Mimsat right tackle and 2025 third-rounderDylan Fairchildat left guard, along with last week's re-signing of right guardDalton Risner, gives head coachZac Taylorhis most experienced starting group in his system.

"The continuity in our off offensive line room has been really special," Brown says.

Another reason he feels so good here? The Bengals' first division game of this season is the 39th AFC North game of his career as he bids to win the division on two different teams.

"Right," Brown says, "I'm an AFC North guy."

"I think we've got the right pieces in the right spots."