Ravens make genius financial move declining Tyler Linderbaum's option

The Baltimore Ravens made headlines on Wednesday with a move that might look confusing on the surface, but it’s anything but. The deadline for 2022 first-round option decisions is May 1, giving teams until Thursday to make their final calls. Baltimore officially declined the fifth-year option on two-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, setting him up for a contract year in 2025.

The decision wasn’t about performance. Linderbaum has been one of the league’s most consistent interior linemen since arriving from Iowa in 2022. But picking up his option would have guaranteed $23.4 million for the 2026 season—a number that doesn’t truly reflect the actual center market.

Instead of locking in a bloated figure, the Ravens are playing the long game. This isn’t a sign of doubt. It’s a sign of leverage, and Baltimore is using it wisely.

Declining the option puts extension talks on center stage

While the move may raise eyebrows, the context makes it clear: this is about financial flexibility. The NFL lumps all offensive linemen into one bucket for option purposes, meaning Linderbaum (a center) would be paid like a top-tier left tackle. The highest-paid center in the league (Creed Humphrey) currently makes $18 million per year. Linderbaum’s fifth-year tag would’ve shattered that ceiling.

By declining the option, Baltimore avoids that inflated number and keeps the door open for a market-level extension, something both sides have already expressed interest in. Eric DeCosta made it clear the goal is to keep Linderbaum long-term. That doesn’t change with this move in the slightest

Sure, there is the chance that the two parties can't come to an extension, leaving DeCosta and the Ravens to play the franchise tag game, but that seems farfetched as of this moment.

Linderbaum, to his credit, isn’t pressing the panic button. “I’ll let my agent handle that,” he told reporters earlier this month. “I’m just focused on becoming as good of a football player as I can be for this team.”

With the salary cap climbing and positional value always in flux, getting ahead of a new deal now—before Linderbaum hits the open market—is just smart business. This is a calculated bet from Baltimore’s front office, one designed to keep a key building block without overpaying for it. And if history’s any indication, they’ll get it done.

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