The Baltimore Ravens have pushed back center Tyler Linderbaum’s next contract as long as they possibly can. They declined his fifth-year option last offseason, and they are unlikely to place that overly expensive $27.9 million franchise tag on him. With legal tampering set to begin on March 9, time is ticking to finalize his extension.
Unfortunately, those contract negotiations haven’t come as easily as the Ravens had hoped. General manager Eric DeCosta told the media at the NFL Combine that he has offered a market-setting contract to Linderbaum. Linderbaum, or more so his agent, has yet to budge.
Reports have speculated that Linderbaum will surpass Creed Humphrey’s highest-paid center deal quite comfortably. NFL insiders believe he is asking for $25 million, which is a price Baltimore may be unwilling to pay. Their top competition in satisfying Linderbaum’s contract desires? The Las Vegas Raiders.
According to NBC’s Matthew Berry, the Raiders may be gearing up for a strong run at Linderbaum. Berry wrote:
“Expect the Las Vegas Raiders to make a very strong run at the Ravens star center Tyler Linderbaum, who is going to set records with his eventual payday. He’ll have many suitors, but I’m told the Raiders, who have a ton of cap space, very much like the idea of a stud like Linderbaum lining up in front of the No. 1 overall pick if Las Vegas does, in fact, draft Fernando Mendoza.”
This shouldn’t come as a shock, given what Las Vegas is trying to build, but it may be the worst news possible for Baltimore as they look to retain Linderbaum.
Ravens set to square off with Raiders in Tyler Linderbaum sweepstakes if he hits free agency
The Ravens need to keep Linderbaum around. Their interior offensive line, which is already atrocious, would become a living nightmare. However, that’s the world they may have to live in with free agency fast approaching.
Teams are going to be aggressive if Linderbaum hits the open market, and the Raiders may as well be a great white shark in that situation. They have copious amounts of money with the second-most cap space in the league at just over $89 million.
As Berry noted, Las Vegas is also entering a new era with 2026 quarterback prospect Fernando Mendoza (probably) leading the way, and an offensive mastermind as head coach in Klint Kubiak. They desperately need a lineman like Linderbaum. He’d be a game-changer, and it’d be a statement that the Raiders aren’t messing around next season.
On the flip side, Baltimore holds all the chips right now. There’s still about a week to figure things out with Linderbaum. However, if his agent continues to “not answer the phone,” as his reported negotiation tactics go, the Ravens may be forced to stare down an unfortunate reality where their three-time Pro Bowler. It will likely be either overpay or watch him walk. With the way things are going, the latter may be becoming the more likely outcome.
The fact of the matter is, Baltimore needs some serious upgrades. If they let Linderbaum walk and sign a worthy replacement like Tyler Biadasz for around $10 million less, that could be a smart money move. However, they would also lose an All-Pro-caliber player and face even more uncertainty on an already worrisome offensive line.
There’s a whole lot of risk and reward in this decision, but if the reports around Linderbaum’s potential salary are real, it could quickly get out of hand. The Ravens need to protect quarterback Lamar Jackson better in 2026, so if they do make that agonizing call to let Linderbaum go, there must be a backup plan. And they’ll have to act on one quickly.