Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young runs onto the field prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers. Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Panthers linked to superstar center in 2026 free agency

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Nov 6, 2025 12:03 PM ET

The Carolina Panthers are turning a corner as they have a 5-4 record through the first half of the team's season.

If they continue along this trajectory, they will become a threat for the playoffs and have the chance to become a major player in free agency. They still need help on the offensive line, which is why Bleacher Report writer Kristopher Knox listed Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum as an option for the team to sign this offseason.

"The Ravens declined the fifth-year option on Tyler Linderbaum's contract because the fifth-year option is the same for all offensive line positions—meaning he would have exceeded Creed Humphrey's market-leading $18 million salary by $5.4 million," Knox wrote.

"Linderbaum, a two-time Pro Bowler, will almost certainly surpass Humphrey's annual salary whenever he signs a new deal. The question is whether he signs with Baltimore or elsewhere.

"ESPN's Dan Graziano reported in August that the Ravens wanted to extend Linderbaum, Kyle Hamilton and Isaiah Likely before the end of the season. To this point, only Hamilton has been extended."

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Panthers linked to Linderbaum in free agency

The Panthers will need to dole out a lot of money to lure Linderbaum away from the Ravens, who declined his fifth-year option. The Ravens want to keep Linderbaum, but preferred to sign him to a long-term deal instead of having him on a one-year contract with a large salary.

The Panthers are currently playing with Cade Mays as their starting center. Mays missed the team's Week 9 win against the Green Bay Packers with ankle and knee injuries, but he has the potential to return for the team's Week 10 contest against the New Orleans Saints.

Mays, a sixth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Tennessee, will be a free agent at the end of the season. He has logged 21 starts across four seasons with the Panthers and has performed well, but Linderbaum would be an upgrade for the team as one of the best centers in the entire league.

In the meantime, the Saints and Panthers are scheduled to kick off on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.