The Baltimore Ravens made two important roster decisions concerning their 2022 first-round draft picks. In the 2022 NFL Draft, the Ravens selected safety Kyle Hamilton from Notre Dame (No. 14 overall) and center Tyler Linderbaum from Iowa (No. 25 overall).
On Wednesday, the Ravens decided on the fifth-year options for both players.
Baltimore decided to pick up Hamilton's fifth-year option, giving him 18.6 million dollars for 2026. They declined Linderbaum's fifth-year option.
Baltimore declined Linderbaum's option solely for financial reasons and not performance issues. The market for offensive linemen is inflated due to all positions having different pay scales.
The highest-paid center is Kansas City's Creed Humphrey, who makes 18 million dollars annually, while the highest-paid left tackle is Tampa Bay's (and former Hawkeye) Tristan Wirfs, who makes 28.1 million dollars annually.
If Baltimore picked up Linderbaum's option, they would have paid him 23.4 million dollars in 2026, 5.4 million more than Humphrey. Linderbaum has become one of the best centers in the NFL, and an anchor on the Ravens' offensive line, but they did not feel they needed to make him the highest-paid center in 2026.
Linderbaum stated he has not had any discussions with the Ravens about a contract extension. During the team's offseason workouts, he noted he is not focused on his contract and is only focusing on the team.
The Ravens' General Manager, Eric DeCosta, clearly stated they hope to sign Linderbaum long-term. If the two sides cannot agree on an extension, every NFL team will attempt to sign the two-time Pro Bowl center.