The Las Vegas Raiders offensive line was terrible last season. They don’t want to leave a rookie quarterback behind the defensive line without making some significant improvements.
Center Tyler Linderbaum immediately improved down the middle. Linderbaum was one of the top free agents available, and the Raiders beat out other interested teams to sign him. This is the largest deal for a center to date.
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According to ESPN, Lindbaum signed a three-year contract worth $81 million, with $60 million guaranteed. It’s rare for a center to earn more than $12 million in a season, and it’s even more unprecedented for a center to earn $20 million a year. Linderbaum’s annual income is $27 million.
Prior to Lindbaum, only two centers made more than $12 million per season, according to Spotrac. Creed Humphrey of the Kansas City Chiefs is the highest-paid center of all time at $72 million over four seasons ($18 million per season), and Cam Jurgens of the Philadelphia Eagles is second at $68 million over four seasons ($17 million per season). Lindebaum broke the center contract record by 50%. He has more than twice as many points as any other center in the NFL besides Humphrey and Jurgens.
But Lindbaum is in high demand for several reasons. He doesn’t turn 26 until April, he’s made three Pro Bowls in four seasons, he has first-round pedigree (25th overall pick in 2022), and he’s only missed two games in his career. Players with this trait rarely become free agents.
It’s amazing how the Raiders have realigned the center market, but the Lindebaum signing didn’t come cheap. He’s a top interior lineman, which will be a big help for Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the Raiders’ favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the draft. The Raiders still have work to do and now have significantly less money to spend on adding other players, but it’s hard to deny that they added a quality player regardless of price.
grade: B+