The top center in free agency has found a new home. Tyler Linderbaum has agreed to a three-year, $81 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders, including $60 million in guaranteed money, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday.
Linderbaum, who is coming off three straight Pro Bowl seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, was widely considered the best center available this offseason. At just 26 years old, he ranked No. 4 on Gregg Rosenthal’s Top 101 free agents list and quickly became a top target for teams needing help along the interior offensive line.
Las Vegas made sure to land him, committing $27 million per year — a deal that effectively resets the center market. The contract places Linderbaum among the five highest-paid offensive linemen in average annual salary, a rare distinction for a player who doesn’t play tackle. His salary also surpasses that of Creed Humphrey of the Kansas City Chiefs by roughly $9 million per season.
The Raiders’ willingness to spend reflects a major need up front. While the offensive line wasn’t always graded as the league’s worst unit, it struggled throughout the season to consistently protect quarterback Geno Smith and open running lanes for rookie running back Ashton Jeanty. At times, Las Vegas was even forced to move interior lineman Jordan Meredith to center despite having no prior experience at the position.
Linderbaum provides a long-term solution. Since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2022, he has missed just two games and became the first Ravens offensive lineman since Marshal Yanda to earn three Pro Bowl selections.
Still, Linderbaum is coming off the most challenging pass-protection season of his career. According to Next Gen Stats, he allowed a 5.9% pressure rate in 2025 — the sixth-highest among centers with at least 500 pass-blocking snaps.
Even so, the Raiders are confident he can anchor the interior of their offensive line moving forward. With one of the league’s largest amounts of available cap space entering the 2026 offseason and multiple roster holes to address, Las Vegas made a bold investment in a player they believe can stabilize the position for years to come.
