Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum is about to become a very wealthy man heading into the 2026 offseason, and that could end up being what keeps the Houston Texans out of the running.
Having been a Pro-Bowler for the last three seasons in a row, Linderbaum is reportedly in line for a contract offer north of $22 million per year once NFL free agency begins on March 11th. NFL Insider Jordan Schultz confirmed as much on Tuesday when, according to sources, he reported:
“The Ravens remain hopeful they can get a deal done with C Tyler Linderbaum before he reaches the open market, just like they did last year with LT Ronnie Stanley, per sources.
Linderbaum is generating a ton of buzz from teams I’ve spoken to. If he reaches the open market, the expectation is he could land a deal north of $22M per year.”
Tyler Linderbaum would help transform any team’s offensive fortunes, but it won't be the Houston Texans
The value that Linderbaum would bring to any offensively needy team cannot be understated, as he is seen as one of the most transformative players in this year’s free agency pool.
He was the engine of a Ravens offensive line that ranked seventh-best in pass block win rate (69%) and seventh in run block win rate (71%) in 2025.
According to ESPN Analytics, he did so by individually having the fourth-best pass block win rate for interior offensive lineman in the league at 97% (308 wins in 317 plays). Then, according to Pro Football Focus, Linderbaum graded out with a run block mark of 83.7 (4th/40 for centers) and an overall mark of 80.3 (5th/40 for centers).
(Note: He finished with a pass block mark of 63.4 according to the same metrics, which was 22nd-best out of 40 centers.)
Schultz shared one executive’s high praise of Linderbaum:
“One executive told me: “The center is the extension of the coach for most of these teams, and he’s 25, a 3-time Pro Bowler, and just getting started in his career.”
Ahead of the new league year, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta shared with the media on Tuesday that Linderbaum had already been offered a “market-setting” contact. Thus, the Linderbaum sweepstakes have already begun.
Linderbaum’s price range most likely too high for the Texans
This isn’t good news for the cash-strapped Houston Texans, who were considered one of the teams that might target Linderbaum in less than two weeks. “Might” is the operative word, seeing as though his landing in Houston was already considered a pipedream by some, independent of the price tag (due to teams like the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns reportedly being possible fits).
Houston is currently over the salary cap, which means cuts and restructures will be necessary if they have any hope of acquiring premium talent when they officially become available.
With that being the case, combined with having multiple holes on the offensive side of the football, blowing their entire budget on one player wouldn’t be the most prudent for the franchise.
Even still, all eyes will be on the market for higher quality interior protectors.
Names like Cade Mays (projected at $12.2 million APY) and Ethan Pocic (projected at $10.5 million APY) may be more palatable for Caserio and co’s financial tastes.