Jets Should Go All in to Sign Ravens Pro Bowler Tyler Linderbaum

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Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman Tyler Linderbaum reacting in the middle of an NFL game against the Buffalo Bills.

The New York Jets have a rare opportunity to steal away a key piece from one of the best teams in the AFC.

Baltimore Ravens three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Last offseason, the Ravens declined the fifth-year team option on his contract, which opened the door for a potential change in 2026.

Great players don’t make it to free agency often. This is a rare chance for the Jets to pay a premium price for a premium player.

According to Spotrac, Linderbaum’s calculated market value is a projected four-year $70.8 million contract. That $17.7 million annual salary would make him the second-highest-paid center in football, only behind Creed Humphrey of the Kansas City Chiefs ($18 million per year), per Over The Cap.

A Loophole That the Jets Can Take Advantage Of

“The decision to not pick up Linderbaum’s option is based on the unusually high financial commitment and not performance. Linderbaum’s fifth-year option would have been $23.4 million in 2026, which would have been $5.4 million more than the NFL’s highest-paid center in terms of average per year,” ESPN’s Jamison Hensley explained.

The problem for the Ravens is that they have limited options to ensure that Linderbaum doesn’t reach the open market this offseason.

If Baltimore thought the $23.4 million fifth-year option was too high, I imagine they feel the same way about the franchise tag. According to Over The Cap, the projected franchise tag number in 2026 is $27.18 million.

The problem for the Ravens is that the NFL doesn’t distinguish between offensive tackles versus guards, versus centers. There is one flat rate for offensive linemen with the franchise tag.

If Baltimore utilized the franchise tag on Linderbaum, they would pay him $9.18 million more than the highest-paid player at his position. Safe to say that isn’t going to happen.

Long story short, Linderbaum has a very clear path to free agency. That means the Jets should at least have a chance to pitch their case, and that’s all you can ask for.

This Is the Time for the Jets to Overpay

The Jets have quite the track record of overpaying players in free agency. Normally, that hasn’t been a good thing.

However, this offseason, the Jets should get ready to hand out a blank check.

Linderbaum, 25, has started 66 of 68 possible games across his four-year career. That is over 4,114 snaps of experience, and in three of his four seasons, he has played at least 99% of the snaps.

He is a young player with an elite resume who would play a critical position of need. This past season, the Jets played musical chairs right before the season. They shifted their long-term center Joe Tippmann to right guard and plugged in veteran Josh Myers off the bench at center.

It was good enough. The Jets were the only team in the NFL that started the same five offensive linemen all season long. However, the Jets shouldn’t get complacent about this group. While Myers was fine, they can definitely do better.

Before the end of the season, Myers signed an extension with the Jets. It wasn’t a large enough deal that would prevent the Jets from seeking an upgrade this offseason.

This offseason, the Jets have to flip a coin and figure out who they’re bringing back at left guard. It’ll be John Simpson or Alijah Vera-Tucker. Whoever you sign, plug him in at left guard.

You aggressively go all in on Linderbaum in free agency and outbid any other team for his services. That would push Myers into a more comfortable sixth man role as a key reserve for the Jets’ O-Line.

Just like that, the Jets would have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.

Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.