Insider Delivers Troubling Ravens, Tyler Linderbaum Contract Update

There is only one priority this offseason that matters more than anything else with the Baltimore Ravens: re-signing three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum at all costs.

Linderbaum is about to become one of the highest-paid centers in the NFL in the offseason and will have plenty of suitors coming after him, which is why the Ravens are trying to be proactive in getting him back. NFL insider Jason La Canfora, though, did not give the update Baltimore fans want to hear: contract negotiations are not going well, and a backup plan is being put together.

"The Ravens have been unable to reach a contract extension with center Tyler Linderbaum, a former first-round pick who is poised to cash in big when free agency opens in March," he wrote. "Badly in need of offensive line fortification, the Ravens are eyeing former Bills and Cowboys standout Connor McGovern as a replacement, with Linderbaum expected to land one of the more lucrative deals on the NFL open market. Baltimore has been reticent to spend top dollar on a center for decades, and league sources indicated there have been some underlying medical concerns with Linderbaum, who has been a Pro Bowl player for them but is also undersized. The Ravens are in a difficult salary cap position until or unless they renegotiate the deal of superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson, making retaining Linderbaum even more remote."

Tyler Linderbaum and Ravens not aligned on contract

If there is any concern, it is very early in the offseason, and there is still just under a month until free agency kicks off. Baltimore can still make some calls and work the budget to get Linderbaum back.

Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

It would be extremely difficult to replace one of the top five centers in the NFL over the last four years since the Ravens drafted him. Linderbaum had a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 80.3, ranking fifth out of 40 centers in the NFL.

McGovern would be a cheaper option for the Ravens and someone they at least know can step into the center position and perform well, since he has already done so with the Bills and Cowboys. He still had a decent PFF grade of 69.1, ranking him 15th out of 40 centers in the NFL.

The biggest issue is that McGovern is 28, while Linderbaum is 25. That's not the end of the world, given the three-year difference, but youth on this Ravens team is paramount. It's especially important when the center is one of the most important players in the NFL, protecting the quarterback.

Ultimately, it sounds as though what happens with negotiations between Baltimore and quarterback Lamar Jackson could determine whether the Ravens have the money to bring back Linderbaum. If Jackson can restructure his contract with Baltimore to take away that massive over $70 million cap hit in 2026, that would easily open the door to get Linderbaum back on the 2026 roster long term.

This all falls on Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta, as he has to get this right and bring back Linderbaum.