Like his Ravens teammates and his peers across the NFL, Orlando Brown Jr. does not know if he'll play football this year.
His team is projected to be a leading Super Bowl contender in the fall. But when Brown talked Thursday about his anxieties related to the coronavirus pandemic, lost football opportunities seemed low on the list.
"I am a little scared," the Ravens right tackle said when asked if the season might be in jeopardy. "It's a serious situation."
Brown spoke with Baltimore media members via Zoom from his offseason home in Oklahoma, where he's trying to stay fit as he stares at the uncertain road ahead for the NFL.
Given the news Wednesday that Los Angeles Rams center Brian Allen was the first NFL player known to test positive for the novel coronavirus, Brown was asked when he might feel comfortable resuming the close-quarters combat required for his job.
"That's tough," he said. "I don't think the NFL and the Ravens organization are going to put us in a bad position. If things aren't ready, they're not ready. I don't think it's going to be forced. I don't think you can force it. With this disease being so deadly and so many people losing their lives, from all ages and races, it's something that I don't think it's going to be taken lightly."
With the nation facing life-and-death stakes, Brown did not seem interested in considering the potential sadness associated with a lost playoff run.
"Obviously, we all want to get out there," he said. "We all want to play with each other. But it's one of those things where we have no control over it."
Brown's life as a Ravens offensive lineman had changed even before the pandemic isolated him from his teammates. His partner on the right side, eight-time Pro Bowl guard Marshal Yanda, retired in early March.
"It's going to be so different," Brown said. "He's helped me grow as a player. He's helped me grow as a person. Most importantly, I'm going to miss asking him questions."
A leading candidate to replace Yanda is Brown's good pal and former Oklahoma teammate Ben Powers.
"He's never had an issue getting a job or winning a job," Brown said of the second-year lineman. "He's always done that throughout his career. He's also someone who's always been an underdog or underrated, just because of his playing style or personality. But once he gets his shoulder pads and helmet on, he's a completely different guy. He's going to give you all he's got. He's workhorse who's going to get better throughout a game and get better throughout the season, throughout his career."
But Brown said he'd leave decisions about filling Yanda's shoes to the Ravens' front office.
"That's not up to me," he said. "I'm going to do my best to make sure I'm ready to dominate. Whoever's next to me, I'm sure they're going to be ready to dominate."
If the Ravens do use one of their top picks on an interior offensive lineman, as many analysts expect, Brown said that player could be at a disadvantage because of pandemic-related schedule changes.
"I think it's going to be tough," he said. "For me, I grew so much between OTAs and minicamp, just being able to communicate with the guy next to you, being able to ask your coach questions in person, being able to walk through things and get the chemistry and the feel for the speed of the game. It's going to be tough for a lot of rookies coming in because they won't have the opportunity to do those things."
Brown has always been a good sport with reporters, so his Zoom chat Thursday wandered far afield.
His favorite quarantine food? Brussel sprouts.
His stance on the Netflix hit "Tiger King," set in Oklahoma? "I have seen it. ... I've known people who got tigers from him for birthday parties for their kids. I personally have never been; I'm scared of tigers. I'm really scared of dogs too, except mine."
His appraisal of teammate Marquise Brown's chances in a league-wide Madden 20 tournament? "He's the real deal. I wouldn't want to play him if I was anybody."
Since the pandemic restricted him to his home, Brown has been in touch with most of his teammates by phone, text or Instagram. Ravens coach John Harbaugh has also reached out, encouraging players to stay healthy. "I think overall, we've got a really good chemistry in Baltimore," Brown said. "I don't think us being away from each other is going to necessarily affect that."
