The Baltimore Ravens have a team ready for a Super Bowl run and that starts with quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is on track to become the highest paid player at his position in NFL history.
The man in front of him, 2-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, seems set to do the same thing at his position.
Spotrac’s Michael Ginnitti predicts Linderbaum could receive a “last minute” 4-year, $77 million contract extension which would pay him approximately $19.25 million. That would top the 4-year, $72 million contract extension signed by Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey in August 2024.
“The 2022 1st Rounder enters a contract year this season, after Baltimore declined a $23.4M 5th-year option (improperly valued as an “offensive line” figure),” Ginnitti wrote on August 9. “That hasn’t stopped the two sides from discussing his long-term future in purple, as the 25-year-old likely seeks a top of market extension.”
Dominant Big Ten OL to First Round Pick
There aren’t many centers, ever, who have been first round picks in the NFL draft.
Linderbaum is one of them.
The 6-foot-2, 314-pound Iowa native dominated at the University of Iowa, where he was a 2-time All-Big Ten pick and was at his very best in his final season, winning the Rimington Trophy, earning All-American honors and being named Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year.
Headed into the 2022 NFL draft, NFL draft analyst/guru/shaman/expert Lance Zierlein compared Linderbaum to future Pro Football Hall of Fame center Jason Kelce. Praise doesn’t come any higher than that.
“Linderbaum has Pro Bowl potential but needs to be matched with a move-based rushing attack,” Zierlein wrote in 2022. ” … Teams with certain size standards might pass on him but his tenacity and talent make him a can’t-miss prospect if matched in the right scheme.”
It was enough for the Ravens to use the No. 25 overall pick in 2022 on Linderbaum. He was a plug and play starter, finished seventh in NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year voting and has been a Pro Bowler each of the last 2 seasons.
Something Broken With NFL’s CBA
The fact the Ravens had to turn down the fifth year option on Linderbaum’s contract represents something very, very wrong with the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.
What’s wrong? There is just one number for the fifth year option on offensive linemen when there’s a discernible difference between how the different positions are paid — most specifically between the offensive tackles and the guards and centers. If the NFLPA is smart they will delineate the number between the tackles and the guards/centers.
Pressure Only Mounting On Ravens in 2025
One reason the Ravens and owner Steve Bisciotti might want to wait on the extension for Linderbaum is that this is the third consecutive year that Baltimore enters a season as not just a legit Super Bowl contender but as a favorite.
There is pressure from all levels of the organization to not only get back to the Super Bowl but to win it all — that doesn’t just fall on the shoulders of Jackson.
Ravens Urged To Sign 2-Time Pro Bowler To Record Breaking $77M Contract