Tyler Linderbaum Aiming For $25MM Per Year?
The Ravens did not place a franchise or transition tag on Tyler Linderbaum on Tuesday, setting him up to hit the open market next week. He is expected to receive a massive contract, though perhaps not quite as much as he is seeking.
Linderbaum is aiming for $25MM per year in free agency, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, who expressed some doubt that the Pro Bowl center could hit that number. However, his next contract still reset the center market – currently capped by Creed Humphrey‘s $18MM AAV – by a significant margin.
Baltimore has been working to re-sign Linderbaum, but he (and his agent) know how many teams need a center and will gladly pay a premium price to land the best one to hit free agency in years.
The Ravens need to improve their offensive line this offseason, not downgrade it, but they also need to address their pass rush – another costly venture – with a limited budget. Getting into a bidding war for Linderbaum would be out of character for general manager Eric DeCosta, who prefers to fill needs with value signings during free agency.
If Linderbaum does not re-up with the Ravens, he will likely be the most coveted player in free agency. Drew Dalman‘s sudden retirement brought another club into a center market that was already crowded with buyers. Linderbaum’s agent will be able to play teams’ offers against each other and drive up his price tags, but teams will have a limit. Though he is one of the league’s best run-blockers, he is not elite in pass protection. Teams are unlikely to pay him like a top offensive tackle at $25MM or more, though breaking into the high end of the guard market seems within reach.
Ravens Have Submitted Market-Topping Offer To C Tyler Linderbaum
MARCH 1: As ESPN’s Dan Graziano notes, many observers believe Linderbaum will manage to surpass $20MM per year on his next contract. Whether or not the Ravens’ top offer is that valuable remains to be seen, and in any case it could be surpassed by outside bids soon provided Linderbaum reaches free agency.
FEBRUARY 24: Aside from lowering Lamar Jackson‘s cap charge for 2026, the Ravens’ No. 1 priority is retaining Tyler Linderbaum. The top pending free agent at the center position (and many others) is in line for a massive raise regardless of where it comes from. 
Baltimore made the expected move of declining Linderbaum’s fifth-year option last spring, setting up the need for a long-term pact to be worked out ahead of free agency. When speaking to reporters at the Combine on Tuesday, general manager Eric DeCosta made another unsurprising announcement by stating (via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic) the transition and franchise tags will not be in play in this case. Tags group all O-linemen together for valuation purposes, making them feasible for tackles but rare in the case of interior blockers.
That leaves a long-term commitment as the path forward with respect to Linderbaum, who is open to re-signing. DeCosta has been clear about a mutual desire existing for a new pact, and on Tuesday he made a notable but not unexpected revelation. The Ravens have submitted a “market-setting” offer to Linderbaum’s camp, DeCosta said (h/t Zrebiec). The top of the center market reached $18MM per year when Creed Humphrey signed his Chiefs extension in 2024.
The NFL’s salary cap saw another jump after that pact was signed, and a surge past $300MM is expected when the 2026 figure is finalized. That leaves Linderbaum as an obvious candidate to surpass Humphrey in terms of AAV. The Chiefs Pro Bowler secured over $50MM in new guarantees on his extension, with $35MM of that figure fully guaranteed at signing. It would stand to reason Baltimore’s latest offer surpasses each of those figures, but further details on the Linderbaum negotiations will be worth watching for in any event.
Daniel Faalele has operated as the Ravens’ starting right guard for each of the past two years, but he is a pending free agent. The team could also look to upgrade from left guard Andrew Vorhees as a starter, so losing Linderbaum on the open market would leave open the possibility of three replacements being sought out this spring. Baltimore will look to avoid such a scenario, but it remains to be seen if the ongoing efforts to work out a deal will be sufficient to reach an agreement.
Ravens Hope To Re-Sign Tyler Linderbaum
As free agency approaches, Tyler Linderbaum remains one of the top players on track to reach the open market. The Pro Bowl center is still in Baltimore’s plans at this point, though. 
Last spring, the Ravens declined Linderbaum’s fifth-year option. That move came as little surprise since option values are determined by grouping together all offensive linemen. The same is also true of the franchise tag, leaving it as an unfeasible means of Baltimore keeping Linderbaum in the fold. Whether or not a long-term deal can be worked out over the coming weeks remains to be seen.
“We’ve got some work to do on Tyler Linderbaum’s contract,” general manager Eric DeCosta acknowledged during an appearance on the Inner Circle podcast (video link). “He’s a free agent. We strongly hope to have him back. He’s a great player for us and a great leader.”
Linderbaum expressed a desire to remain in Baltimore shortly after the team’s 2025 season ended. Based on DeCosta’s comments, the feeling is mutual. Baltimore has other matters to attend to from a financial standpoint in time for free agency, however. The most pressing one is a restructuring of quarterback Lamar Jackson‘s contract; until and unless that takes place, the Ravens’ cap flexibility will be unclear. The team’s ability to authorize a major Linderbaum extension will hinge in large part on its success in carving out space for 2026.
Seven centers are currently attached to an average annual value of at least $10MM. That list will soon grow, as Linderbaum is a strong candidate to reset the market. The Iowa product could easily top $18MM per year, which is the value of Creed Humphrey‘s Chiefs pact. Entering his age-26 season and having missed only two games so far in his career, Linderbaum will have no shortage of suitors if he tests the open market.
The Ravens may have a veteran contingency in place in the form of Connor McGovern should Linderbaum head elsewhere in March. Their preference would no doubt be to maintain the status quo at the center spot, and it will be interesting to see if progress at the negotiating table can be made shortly.
Ravens Eyeing C Connor McGovern As Potential Tyler Linderbaum Replacement?
The list of pending Ravens free agents is topped by center Tyler Linderbaum. The three-time Pro Bowler has loomed as a target for a second Baltimore contract, but nothing has been finalized yet.
As of November, team and player were not close to reaching an extension agreement. The top of the center market is currently $18MM per year, set in 2024 when Creed Humphrey signed his new Chiefs deal. Linderbaum could very well set a new watermark at the position, but it remains to be seen if his next contract will come from the Ravens or an outside suitor.
SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora reports the Ravens are receiving “contract rejections” during negotiations with Linderbaum’s camp. The former first-rounder said immediately after Baltimore’s season ended he wanted to continue playing for the team that drafted him. Given the Ravens’ expected decision of declining Linderbaum’s fifth-year option last year, however, they left the door open to a departure in the spring.
Per La Canfora, there are “underlying medical concerns” to be taken into account in this case as well. Linderbaum faced some questions about his size entering the NFL, but through his first four seasons he has missed only two games. Durability and a consistent level of play will help the 25-year-old cash in during his first trip to the open market (provided he makes it there). A new Ravens agreement could be worked out at any time between now and the start of the new league year, but a cap-reducing Lamar Jackson extension remains priority No. 1 for the team.
In the event Linderbaum departs, Baltimore appears to have a replacement in mind. La Canfora points to Connor McGovern as a veteran who could be acquired in free agency. McGovern has made 78 starts in his career between time in Dallas and Buffalo. The 28-year-old has been a steady presence on the Bills’ offensive line since his arrival in 2023. Buffalo inked McGovern to a three-year, $22.35MM deal during free agency in 2023.
A pact along those lines would certainly carry a much lower AAV than the one Linderbaum will soon be attached to. The guard position will likely be subject to change for Baltimore over the course of the offseason, but the team’s approach at center will be worth watching closely.
Giants Would Not Have Changed Reporting Structure For Another HC; Titans, John Harbaugh Remained In Contact
The Giants considered other candidates, but this year’s first team to make a hire made no secret of John Harbaugh‘s frontrunner status. After a near-three-day delay, the longtime Ravens coach officially took the reins with the Giants on Saturday.
A key part of the delay stemmed from reporting structure. The Giants had previously had their head coach report to the GM, who in turn reported to ownership. Harbaugh confirmed last week he will join GM Joe Schoen in reporting to ownership. Had the Giants hired another coach, however, senior personnel consultant Chris Mara said (via The Athletic’s Dan Duggan) the team would not have signed off on that coach reporting directly to ownership.
Mara also indicated the Giants wanted the deal done before playoff teams could make strong pitches. We heard of potential Bills and Packers interest; the Buffalo job is now available. Mara and Harbaugh had not met before a summit at the coach’s home, but the two have been regularly communicating since that initial meeting. Chris Mara is taking on more responsibilities with brother John Mara battling cancer.
Harbaugh carried considerable leverage, being the rumored favorite in a few cities. The Titans had a big offer prepared, but the Giants convinced the high-profile coaching free agent not to take that meeting. The Falcons did meet with Harbaugh virtually but were unable to schedule a second interview.
A high Giants salary, believed to be around $20MM per year, played into that. The Giants made a strong first offer, per The Athletic’s Ian O’Connor, who reports New York initially came in at $18.5MM AAV. O’Connor confirms Harbaugh will make $20MM per year; that sits $13MM north of what the Giants were paying Brian Daboll.
The Giants and Harbaugh entered negotiations about a deal on January 15, but the sides did not have a signed agreement until Jan. 18. Although Harbaugh had canceled his Titans in-person interview, O’Connor reports the AFC South team remained in communication with the coach’s camp during the time between his Giants talks and the agreement becoming official. Other teams wondered if the delay in Harbaugh finalizing his Giants deal meant there was trouble afoot, and O’Connor adds at least one other club was set to make a nine-figure offer to the Super Bowl-winning HC if his Giants talks fizzled. The Falcons hired Kevin Stefanski hours after the official Harbaugh agreement; the Titans hired Robert Saleh on Monday night.
A Friday report indicated Schoen’s status served as an impediment during the Giants’ negotiations, but Harbaugh is signed to work with the fifth-year GM. Schoen confirmed Tuesday (via Duggan) he is “not worried” about both he and Harbaugh reporting to ownership, though this is a major change in Giants business.
Schoen is coming off three straight double-digit loss seasons, but Giants ownership let him run the coaching search. No Trent Baalke-like situation formed, as the Giants were able to bring Harbaugh aboard with Schoen still employed. Though, this partnership will be worth monitoring given Harbaugh’s power.
As the Giants-Harbaugh talks dragged on, the coach and Chris Mara met at an undisclosed location Friday, O’Connor adds. Though, Harbaugh did respond with a shrug emoji (to The Athletic) in a text message regarding his belief he would end up as Giants HC as of Friday night. The Giants’ reporting structure had been in place dating back to Bill Parcells, who reported to Hall of Fame GM George Young. Fellow two-time Super Bowl winner Tom Coughlin reported to Ernie Accorsi and then Jerry Reese, but Harbaugh possessed enough leverage to convince the Giants to change up. Coughlin helped arrange one of the Harbaugh-Mara meetings, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan notes.
While Harbaugh called the reporting structure issue “overblown,” it is clear this was important to the second-chance HC. Mara added (via Raanan) Harbaugh does not have true final say, calling it “collaborative.” It would still stand to reason Harbaugh will hold the hammer over Schoen, given the latter’s struggles and the Giants altering their long-held workflow.
“I know that’s a big deal around here: ‘Final say,'” Mara said. “[Harbaugh] doesn’t have final say. It’s collaborative, and he’s the first to admit that. If he has final say with everything in that building, he wouldn’t be able to do his job. He’s going to be the most important cog in the wheel. Let’s put it that way. But in terms of final say, this is going to be a collaborative effort between ownership, general manager and coach.”
Schoen said (via Duggan) no Ravens front office staffers, as of now, are following Harbaugh to New York. Front office contracts generally run through the draft, though, so May could be a more notable point on the calendar with regards to any Baltimore-to-New York treks. But the Giants will be expected to target ex-Ravens in free agency, SNY’s Connor Hughes notes.
Baltimore has some notable players unsigned for 2026. All-Pro center Tyler Linderbaum has been a Ravens priority, but he is not a franchise tag candidate due to the tag formula grouping all O-line salaries together. This leads to guards being rarely tagged; centers always skate to free agency. Baltimore also has guard starter Daniel Faalele, tight end Isaiah Likely, safety Ar’Darius Washington and fullback Patrick Ricard set for free agency.
The Giants have used John Michael Schmitz as their starting center since drafting him in the 2023 second round, but the Minnesota product has not graded well yet. Linderbaum will be one of the most coveted free agents available if he reaches the market. With Todd Monken likely to become the Giants’ OC, an aggressive Linderbaum pursuit would make sense. While the veteran wants to stay in Baltimore, he and the Ravens were not close on a deal as of mid-November. The Ravens have exclusive negotiating rights with pending UFAs until the legal tampering period begins March 9.
Tyler Linderbaum Wants To Stay In Baltimore
The Ravens’ 2025 season ended on Sunday night, and their 2026 offseason immediately began.
In addition to considering changes to their coaching staff, Baltimore will have to make a number of roster decisions. The most pressing, at least in terms of a timeline, is regarding Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum. The Ravens declined to pick up the 2022 first-rounder’s fifth-year option last offseason, making 2025 a contract year.
Linderbaum, 25, said on Monday that he “absolutely” wants to remain in Baltimore despite his pending free agency. But the financial details are complicated. A franchise tag – projected by OverTheCap to be $27.2MM – is out of the question. That would still set a high floor for extension negotiations in a positional market that is currently topped by Chiefs center Creed Humphrey at $18MM per year. That contract was signed in 2024 with a significantly lower cap, so Linderbaum will likely top it on his next deal. The question is by how much.
The fourth-year center started every game this year and maintained his status as one of the league’s top centers with his third-straight Pro Bowl. His 79.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) of any center, though that was primarily due to his elite run-blocking. In pass protection, though, Linderbaum took a step backwards from his more consistent showings in 2023 and 2024, which featured just 37 combined pressures allowed and a 98.4 pass-blocking efficiency, per PFF. This year alone he allowed 26 pressures with a career-low 97.2 efficiency rating.
Even for the run-heavy Ravens, Linderbaum’s pass protection in the center of the offensive line is crucial. One could argue his stats were dragged down by poor guard play on either side, but there were plenty of situations where he was flat-out beat. But the team’s lack of investment in the guard position also makes his overall talent and leadership more valuable.
Adjusting Humphrey’s contract to the current salary cap yields an APY of $20.8MM, which would be close to the top of a guard market that has exploded in recent years. Linderbaum’s agent will be arguing for that number, while the Ravens will be seeking a smaller bump over Humphrey’s deal. Baltimore has a tight salary cap situation and a confident negotiating style in which they largely stick to their valuation. The team has even been willing to let top pending free agents test their market while keeping communications line open for a potential return to the negotiating table.
But another fundamental element of the Ravens’ team-building strategy is retaining core franchise players, especially former first-round picks who are among the league’s best at their positions. Linderbaum fits that description to a T, and his desire to remain in Baltimore is almost certainly mutual. The two sides will likely engage in negotiations before the start of the new league year with the hope of securing a long-term deal that keeps Linderbaum in purple and black for the foreseeable future.
Ravens, Tyler Linderbaum Not Close On Extension
The Ravens have signaled their desire to sign center Tyler Linderbaum to an extension before he hits free agency, but the two sides “are not within striking distance of a deal,” per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
The Ravens did not pick up the fifth-year option for Linderbaum this offseason, making 2025 a contract year for the 2022 first-round pick. Because the NFL groups all offensive linemen together for contract designations, Linderbaum’s fifth-year option would have come in at $23.4MM. That’s an appropriate price for a top tackle, but far too much money for a center.
Linderbaum, a two-time Pro Bowler, is likely looking to reset the center market, which is currently topped by Creed Humphrey at $18MM per year. Inflating Humphrey’s contract to match the 2025 salary cap would yield a $19.7MM APY for Linderbaum. That feels a little high given Linderbaum’s struggles in pass protection this year, not just relative to Humphrey, but to the entire league. The fourth-year Raven has allowed 16 pressures this year, the fifth-most among all centers, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He is on pace to eclipse the 29 pressures he allowed as a rookie; in 2023 and 2024, he allowed 18 and 19 pressures, respectively.
Baltimore is in a tough spot. Pay for interior offensive linemen has exploded in the last few offseasons, and Linderbaum would be one of the best centers to hit free agency in recent years. That could create a bidding war if he hits the open market, something he and his representation are sure to know as they negotiate with the Ravens.
A franchise or transition tag is not an option, either. The first would be $27.2MM, and the second would be $24.6MM, per OverTheCap. Besides the inflated value for a center, the Ravens would also struggle to absorb a one-year cap hit of that size, and their long-term financial situation isn’t pretty, either.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson is set to count for $74.5MM against the cap in 2026, and though the Ravens want to lower than number with an extension, past negotiations indicate such a deal will take time. Defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike has an uncertain future after a season-ending neck injury; if the Ravens have to part ways with him this offseason, they will have to account at least some of the dead money from his contract next year. Defensive tackle Travis Jones and tight end Isaiah Likely are also key young players who the Ravens would like to retain. In fact, Madubuike’s injury and the pending free agency of all three of Baltimore’s tight ends could make those Jones and Likely just as much of a priority as Linderbaum. That’s not even mentioning other contract situations with players like running back Keaton Mitchell and punter Jordan Stout, among others.
As a result, negotiating a Linderbaum extension is only one part of a complicated financial picture for the Ravens. Between a potential Jackson extension, clarity on Madubuike’s future, and negotiations with Jones, Likely, and Linderbaum, general manager Eric DeCosta will have his hands full for the next several months as his team navigates the rest of the 2025 season and prepares for 2026.
Ravens Not Done With Extension Talks; Lamar Jackson, Others On Deck
The Ravens have been busy throughout the offseason getting ahead of future contract decisions by extending key players. While Pro Bowl left tackle Ronnie Stanley was in danger of testing the free agent market when he signed his new deal, other players the team extended this offseason — All-Pro running back Derrick Henry, wide receiver Rashod Bateman, and most recently, All Pro safety Kyle Hamilton — all had one or two years left on their contracts when they signed. Even with all they’ve done so far, the team sees work to be done, and it may begin with their MVP. 
All Pro quarterback Lamar Jackson is about to enter the third year of a five-year, $260MM contract. At one point a deal that made Jackson the highest-paid player in NFL history, the contract’s annual average value ($52MM) currently ranks 10th in the league and is beginning to be encroached upon by non-quarterbacks; Micah Parsons‘ new deal is worth $46.5MM per year, which is good for the 12th-highest such average in the NFL. It was reported in March that the Ravens were looking to put together a new deal for their star passer, and by June, talks were already underway.
According to general manager Eric DeCosta, Baltimore isn’t resting on its laurels as extension conversations with Jackson have been “ongoing.” DeCosta declined to go into detail on the situation, confirming with reporters that discussions with his quarterback would remain private.
“I like to work kind of in the dark, quietly, and try to get as much done as we can,” DeCosta told the media (via Ravens staff writer Clifton Brown). “We’ve got a lot of different things going on. We’ve got a lot of really good players; we’ve got players that deserve to be paid well, and we’re trying to keep those guys. Knowing that, as I’ve said 1,000 times, you can’t keep everybody.”
There are plenty of players for Baltimore to target with new contracts. The focus, so far, has been on players with time remaining on their current deals, but center Tyler Linderbaum, defensive tackle Travis Jones, fullback Patrick Ricard, edge rushers Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh, and all three tight ends — Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, and Charlie Kolar — are set to play on contract years.
DeCosta is certainly correct, they can’t keep everybody, but they definitely can’t keep everybody if they allow Jackson to play on a contract that holds a $74.5MM cap hit in 2026, nearly a quarter of the team’s salary cap space for that season. We’ve already discussed in detail how an extension for Jackson may look and how the Bills may have given them the formula for success. Regardless of the details, figuring out what Jackson’s financial future looks like should factor in to how many pending free agents the Ravens can afford to try to retain.
Ravens Hoping To Extend Kyle Hamilton, Tyler Linderbaum, Isaiah Likely Before End Of Season
The Ravens made a whopping 11 selections during the 2022 NFL Draft, nine of which are still in Baltimore and eligible for a contract extension.
First-round picks Kyle Hamilton (No. 14 overall) and Tyler Linderbaum (No. 25 overall) have emerged as priorities for the Ravens, along with fourth-rounder Isaiah Likely. The team is working on extensions for all three players and would like to get deals done before the end of the 2025 season, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano.
Hamilton will be the most expensive. The All-Pro will likely get a significant raise over the top of the safety market, which reached $21.25MM with Kerby Joseph‘s deal this offseason. The Ravens picked up Hamilton’s fifth-year option in May, locking him in for $18.6MM in 2026 and giving them an extra year to reach an agreement. They could even tag him in 2027 if necessary, but with considerable money committed for the team’s other stars – including $74.5MM for Lamar Jackson in 2026 and 2027 – an extension for Hamilton would help ease the immediate cap burden.
The Ravens declined Linderbaum’s fifth-year option, not because they didn’t want to keep him, but because the NFL groups all offensive linemen together when calculating fifth-year options and franchise tags. Linderbaum would have been owed $23.4MM in 2026, more than $5MM above Creed Humphrey‘s $18MM APY at the top of the center market. A tag is out of the question for the same reason, giving the Ravens six months to extend Linderbaum.
General manager Eric DeCosta hasn’t shied away from making the team’s star players the NFL’s highest-paid at their position, but the cap has gone up significantly since Humphrey signed his extension. Accordingly, Linderbaum may be seeking upwards of $19MM per year. The Ravens will be hoping that the potential for a hefty signing bonus will incentivize their Pro Bowl center into putting pen to paper on an affordable contract before he hits free agency.
Likely has emerged as an ascending offensive weapon, a favorite target of Jackson’s, and a clear successor to Mark Andrews in the team’s tight end room. The Ravens may want to make sure that his recovery from foot surgery goes smoothly before finalizing an extension. Likely’s market has been clarified by Jake Ferguson‘s $12.5MM APY deal with the Cowboys. Ferguson has more targets, receptions, and yards due to his undisputed TE1 status in Dallas in the last two years, but Likely has been significantly more efficient and effective in the red zone while playing behind Andrews in Baltimore.
The 25-year-old may not be able to break into the highest tier of tight end contracts without a full year as a starter, but he could come in around $14MM per year, which happens to be the same amount that Andrews commanded on his second contract.
Extension Candidate: Tyler Linderbaum
The Ravens declined the fifth-year option of center Tyler Linderbaum in May, making 2025 a contract year for the 2022 first-round pick.
Typically, that decision means that a team doesn’t want to sign a player to a long-term extension. The Ravens, for example, didn’t pick up Patrick Queen‘s fifth-year option in 2023 and let him walk in free agency the following year.
Linderbaum’s situation is a little different. The NFL calculates fifth-year option values based on the top salaries at each position, but the formula groups all offensive linemen together. With two Pro Bowls under his belt, Linderbaum’s fifth-year option reached the highest tier at $23.4MM; effectively, the Ravens would have been paying their starting center like a premium left tackle in 2026. That figure would have also set a high bar in long-term contract talks as players rarely sign extensions with an average value below their fifth-year option.
As a result, a new deal for Linderbaum is still firmly in play in the coming months. The Ravens confirmed as much in a statement when they announced their fifth-year option decisions, though general manager Eric DeCosta said the same thing about Queen on a team podcast in 2023. At that time, the Ravens had recently traded for Roquan Smith and used a third-round pick on Trenton Simpson, but this year, they have no clear successor for Linderbaum on the roster. (A franchise tag for 2026 is likely out of the question. Thanks to the same positional designation quirk, Linderbaum is projected by OverTheCap to cost $24.7MM on the transition tag and $27.603MM on the franchise tag.)
Even if Baltimore could find a replacement by next season, he likely will not offer the same elite level of play as Linderbaum. The 25-year-old center has been one of the league’s best since he was drafted in 2022 with the No. 25 pick, which the Ravens acquired as a result of the Marquise Brown trade. Linderbaum immediately stepped in as Lamar Jackson‘s starting center and put together a solid rookie year before making a leap in 2023 after the arrival of offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
Improvements in Linderbaum’s anchor in pass protection and Monken’s creative use of his athleticism in the run game has brought out the best in Linderbaum over the last two seasons. In that time, he reached two Pro Bowls and hasn’t allowed a single sack, per PFF (subscription required), and the Ravens have dominated opponents on the ground.
The former Iowa Hawkeye has also been durable in his career thus far, starting 54 of the Ravens’ 56 games since he was drafted (including the postseason). Jackson struggled with consistency at center before Linderbaum’s arrival in 2022, so the team has reason for wanting to lock the position down for the foreseeable future.
Given Linderbaum’s pedigree and durability, an extension is likely predicated on making him the highest-paid center in the NFL. Currently, that title belongs to the Chiefs’ Creed Humphrey, who signed a four-year, $72MM deal last August with $35MM guaranteed at signing and $50.315MM in total guarantees, per OverTheCap. That should get Linderbaum above $18MM per year with a commensurate increase in guaranteed money.
He may even push to join the ranks of the highest-paid interior offensive linemen with the guard market above $20MM per year. That may prove difficult for the Ravens, who are working on an extension for Jackson with several other key players in the last year of their contracts. Baltimore would likely prefer to make Linderbaum the league’s most expensive center at a more symbolic $18.25MM or $18.5MM APY rather than resetting the market at $19MM or more. They could rely on a familiar strategy to accomplish that.
DeCosta has kept a lid on the team’s major contracts by offering significant guarantees at signing in exchange for a discount on APY. For example, Ronnie Stanley could have signed for more than $20MM per year on the open market, but he took $60MM over three years from the Ravens, in part because his $44MM in fully guaranteed money ranks third among NFL left tackles.
As a result, a four-year, $74MM extension with a stronger guarantee structure than Humphrey’s deal could offer a middle ground between Linderbaum and the Ravens. He has been present for all but one practice during Baltimore’s OTAs, indicating that he has no intention of holding out (or in) this year as the team works on a new contract.