The value of a good center can’t be overstated.
Look no further than the Kansas City Chiefs and their combination of quarterback Patrick Mahomes and center Creed Humphrey, who have teamed up to win 2 Super Bowls and play in 1 more in their 1st 5 seasons together.
The Baltimore Ravens lost their superstar center in free agency after 3-time Pro Bowler and former 1st -round pick Tyler Linderbaum signed a 3-year, $81 million free-agent contract with the Las Vegas Raiders in March.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton handed out a rare “A” grade to the Raiders for stealing Linderbaum away from the Ravens — a move that’s almost certainly made the Ravens’ offense much worse in 2026.
For the Raiders, Linderbaum represents a bridge between veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins and the future of the franchise in 2026 No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza.
“The Baltimore Ravens allowed three-time Pro Bowler Tyler Linderbaum to test the open market, and he signed the second-richest deal among offensive free agents,” Moton wrote on July 7. “Linderbaum played for a perennial contender and chose to sign with a franchise that’s been in a perpetual rebuild for over two decades, which says a lot about general manager John Spytek’s ability to close big deals and first-time head coach Klint Kubiak’s appeal … In Year 1 with the Raiders, Cousins and Linderbaum will set the foundation for the offense. When the team inevitably inserts No. 1 overall pick Fernandon Mendoze into the lineup, he’ll have help from one of the league’s best centers in making pre-snap calls and changes at the line of scrimmage.”
‘Difficult’ Contract Negotiations Before Ravens Exit
The Ravens and Linderbaum seemed destined for a messy split before he finally made it official by leaving for the desert.
In February, reports were already surfacing of tension between the 2 sides.
“(The Ravens) have tried to negotiate with (Linderbaum),” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said on February 24. “His agent is very difficult to negotiate with. Neil Cornrich is the agent, and his method is basically not responding.”
Getting ghosted was not a great look for the Ravens, who tried their best to spin things like Linderbaum was something along the lines of ungrateful — not the best way to negotiate.
“Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said the team has made a ‘market setting’ offer to center Tyler Linderbaum, who will be a free agent next month,” ESPN’s Jamison Hensley wrote on X on Tuesday.
Linderbaum’s deal didn’t just reset the market — the 4-year, $72 million contract signed by Humphrey before the 2024 season — it blew it out of the water.
Tyler Linderbaum Rarest of Rare NFL Centers
There aren’t many centers who have been 1st-round picks in the NFL draft. Linderbaum is one of them, going No. 25 overall to the Ravens in 2022.
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 Famer Jason Kelce.
“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,” Zierlein wrote in 2022.
Raiders Given Rare Grade for Stealing $81 Million Pro Bowler Away From Ravens