The Ravens have exercised the fifth-year option for safety Kyle Hamilton but declined to do so for center Tyler Linderbaum, though general manager Eric DeCosta said the team hopes to keep both in the organization long-term.
The team faced a May 1 deadline to exercise the option for each player, who was eligible for the option as a first-round pick in the 2022 draft.
With his option picked up, Hamilton will be set to receive $18.6 million in 2026 in his option year, though in a statement DeCosta said the team has a goal “of working toward a multi-year contract extension.”
Hamilton, 24, has become one of the leaders of the defense and a face of the franchise in three seasons with the team. He is expected to command a market-setting deal in any long-term extension.
Both Hamilton and Linderbaum have made the Pro Bowl in 2023 and 2024, and Linderbaum is viewed as a crucial link in the middle of the offensive line. Declining his option was more about NFL bookkeeping than any perceived shortcomings of Linderbaum.
In calculations to determine the net worth of fifth-year options, the league lumps offensive linemen as a group, so the cost of centers essentially becomes the same as the cost of offensive tackles, who typically command much larger deals. And because Linderbaum is already a two-time Pro Bowl pick, he was due the franchise tag rate for offensive linemen, roughly $23.4 million.
The highest average annual value for a center, by contrast, is $18 million, for Kansas City’s Creed Humphrey.
By declining the option, Linderbaum is technically set to become a free agent next spring, though DeCosta said, “It is our intention for him to remain a Baltimore Raven long term.”
Linderbaum, 25, was drafted by the Ravens with the extra first-round pick they acquired by trading receiver Marquise Brown before the 2022 draft, and he quickly established himself as one of the best centers in the league.
Asked about his contract status as the team began its offseason program earlier this month, Linderbaum said, “I’ve let my agent handle that. I’m just focused on just becoming as good of a football player as I can be. … And [I’ll] let all the other things take care of itself.”
Linderbaum said he hadn’t given any thought to a timeline for extension talks or whether he would prefer to shut them down before the season, saying he would defer to his agent, Neil Cornrich.
“I’m giving my all to the team right now,” Linderbaum said, “and that’s my focus, and that’s how it should be.”
If the Ravens and Linderbaum don’t reach a deal by next March, the Ravens could always use the franchise tag on him. But because of that offensive-line bookkeeping, they’d be staring at a tag price of more than $23 million.
With the draft and the option issue now settled, DeCosta and the Ravens can turn to the next phase of the offseason. The rookies — draft picks, unsigned rookies and those invited to try out — will be in town for rookie minicamp May 3-5.
Veterans have already begun the offseason program, and the team will conduct the first of its 10 voluntary OTA workouts on May 27.
DeCosta, meanwhile, likes to say the roster is never fully set, and he will continue to look to bolster various positions. After the draft ended, he noted that the team missed out on a few run-stuffing nose tackles to replace Michael Pierce, who retired, and DeCosta will look to sign such a player in free agency.
The team also continues to wait on the NFL investigation into kicker Justin Tucker, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than a dozen massage therapists in a series of stories published by The Baltimore Banner. DeCosta said after the draft that he has no update on the timeline for the NFL to complete its investigation or hand down any penalties.
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