The NFL’s franchise tag window opened on Tuesday, and the Baltimore Ravens only have one player to consider for a tag: Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum.
But when you dive into the short- and long-term salary cap impact of tagging Linderbaum, it becomes clear that such a move is not an option at all.
(For a refresher on franchise tags, check out this information from the NFL and OverTheCap.)
The problem stems from the NFL’s grouping of all offensive lineman into one category for position-based contract
designations, so the OL tag is representative of the top of the offensive tackle market. Tagging Linderbaum would be paying him like an elite offensive tackle…which he is not. This is the same reason that the Ravens did not pick up his fifth-year option last offseason.
The league has yet to announce the official tag figures for 2026, but OverTheCap projects the transition tag at $25.3 million and the non-exclusive tag at $27.9 million. The exclusive tag will be even higher than that, making it completely out of the question for Linderbaum.
And really, the non-exclusive tag is, too. The top of the center market currently sits at $18 million per year, the value of Creed Humphrey’s 2024 extension with the Chiefs. An increase by almost $10 million is unreasonable, whether it is just for 2026 or the basis of a long-term deal.
Linderbaum has no reason to sign a multi-year contract – from the Ravens or any other team – with an APY lower than his tag number. He can simply sign the tag, collect his $27.9 million, and put the Ravens in the same position a year from now, when a second tag would cost an unconscionable $33.5 million. No team would be willing to hand Linderbaum a massive contract and trade two first-round picks to the Ravens as the non-exclusive tag dictates, either. (Trading Linderbaum for two first-round picks would obviously be an excellent outcome for Baltimore.)
With the non-exclusive tag out of the picture, the only option left is the $25.3 million transition tag. That is still a tough number to stomach for a long-term deal with a center – more than $7 million over the top of the market.
Perhaps you could still make an argument for using the transition tag. Perhaps the Ravens’ urgency to compete for a Super Bowl could justify keeping Linderbaum at that number in 2026. He is extremely important to the Ravens offensive line, which needs to get better this offseason, not worse.
That still seems like a stretch. The Ravens would have to account for his tag number – which cannot be pushed into the future with void years – on the salary cap, limiting their options in free agency. Linderbaum would also be allowed to negotiate with other teams, which could result in him leaving Baltimore anyway. If he plays on the tag, the Ravens would then be in the same standoff with him next offseason. However, they may have finally reached the Super Bowl and/or found his successor by then and would be willing to let him walk.
The amount of expected interest in Linderbaum in free agency could also set up a tag-and-trade situation. A team may not be willing to move two first-rounders for Linderbaum and a pricey extension, but what are they willing to move?
It might be worth finding out, but that is an extremely narrow path to walk. Linderbaum would have to reach a long-term deal with another team while negotiating from the same high floor as he would with the Ravens. The two teams would then have to agree on trade compensation. In those circumstances, the chances of a deal are slim to non-existent.
The Ravens ultimately have two choices: pay up before Linderbaum hits free agency or let him walk. The Pro Bowl center is holding the Ravens’ feet to the fire, and unlike their standoffs with Lamar Jackson and Nnamdi Madubuike, the tag cannot help them.
