The Baltimore Ravens are now staring down the unfortunate reality every fan was worried about heading into this offseason. On Monday, three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum agreed to terms with the Las Vegas Raiders.
ESPN Sources: former Ravens free-agent center Tyler Linderbaum reached agreement today on a record deal with the Raiders, who are awarding him with a three-year, $81 million deal that includes $60 million guaranteed and makes him the highest paid interior offensive lineman in NFL… pic.twitter.com/8oWmOroNBA
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2026
Linderbaum will become the NFL’s highest-paid center when it's all said and done. He’s expected to sign a deal for three years worth $81 million. This is not only a market-setting deal, but new grounds for a center, as he crushes Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey’s previous record of a four-year, $72 million contract.
While the Ravens had a market-setting deal on the table for Linderbaum, it was clearly not at the price that Linderbaum and his agent, Neil Cornrich, were looking for. They were looking for $20-plus million per year, and got way more than what they desired at an average mark of $27 million per year.
Baltimore Ravens watch Tyler Linderbaum depart for Las Vegas Raiders
This was possibly the worst-case scenario for Baltimore this offseason. While they made a blockbuster move for edge rusher Maxx Crosby that had fans buzzing, the reality was that if Linderbaum departed, there would be trouble in paradise. An already worrisome interior offensive line just got worse. They added offensive guard John Simpson, but there's another major question to answer now.
The main focus of this offseason has been building the best team around quarterback Lamar Jackson. That included rebuilding the trenches. While general manager Eric DeCosta did that on defense by adding a fearsome pass rusher in Crosby, it seems they couldn’t get a deal done with Linderbaum. The center spot is on life support.
Linderbaum undoubtedly earned the right to reset the market, but clearly, the Ravens weren’t thinking to the tune of $27 million a year. They’ll have to search elsewhere for his replacement. Unfortunately, the center market is already being picked apart with Tyler Biadasz and Connor McGovern signing new deals. It may become a priority in the 2026 NFL Draft.
We’ll have to wait and see how DeCosta pivots. This is a major blow.