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Tyler Linderbaum’s 5th-year option declined by Baltimore Ravens
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Former Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum was one of the best offensive linemen in college football for the Hawkeyes. Now, he’s a mainstay for the Baltimore Ravens, but the franchise made a somewhat surprising call on Wednesday.
The Ravens confirmed in a post on social media that the franchise is not picking up the 5th-year option on Linderbaum’s rookie contract. However, Baltimore also said the team intends to keep the Iowa product with the franchise for the long term.
Linderbaum entered the NFL as the 25th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Since being drafted by the Ravens, Linderbaum has started 49 career games, only missing 2 games during the 2023 season. He has been named a Pro Bowler in back-to-back seasons.
So, why would Baltimore decline the 5th-year option for such a prominent contributor and a durable piece of its offensive line? It is ultimately related to the overall structure of the rookie contract scale.
According to NFL writer Ari Meirov, the 5th-year option for Linderbaum as the 25th overall pick of the draft would have been for $23.4 million for the 2026 season. The current highest-paid center for the 2025 season is Drew Dalman of the Chicago Bears at $18 million.
Declining the option is not an indicator that Baltimore does not want to retain Linderbaum, but the Ravens would much rather find a more team-friendly long-term deal at this juncture. It is, however, a bit of a gamble as Linderbaum is now in a contract year and could leave via free agency after the 2025 season if he feels there is more money to be had elsewhere.
For now, Linderbaum is still a Raven, and he enters the 2025 season as one of the bright young players at the position.