The Green Bay Packers need offensive line help, and the biggest hole to patch might be at the center position. The failed experiment to move Elgton Jenkins to center is reportedly leading to his release, and while the Packers could re-sign Sean Rhyan or move Zach Tom to center to fill that role, the biggest target may be Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum.
One of the best road-grading centers in the league, Linderbaum is the Belle of the ball for teams looking for offensive line help. He’s also one of the top free agents in this year’s class, which means he’s likely to break the bank with a Spotrac projection of $17.7 million per season and an overall contract of four years and $70.8 million.
To fans who watched Jenkins and Rhyan struggle in the role last year, that amount of money is worth it. But Linderbaum also carries some buyer beware as the Packers sit two weeks away from the beginning of the free agency period.
Tyler Linderbaum Risk Could Be Greater than Reward for Packers in Free Agency
Linderbaum’s pending free agency is one of the biggest storylines around the league entering this week’s combine. If the 25-year-old hits the market, the Packers should be one of the first teams lining up to sign him. But there are several things that could get in the way.
Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta told reporters on Tuesday that he wants to keep Linderbaum and that the Ravens have made him “a market-setting” offer, but he stopped short of saying that he would use the franchise tag to buy time to work out a long-term deal.
With $22 million in cap space and a looming decision on Lamar Jackson’s $74.5 million cap hit next season, it appears Linderbaum will either agree to an extension or hit the market, but there’s still some red tape for the Packers to sort through.
The first is the contract. According to Over The Cap, Kansas City’s Creed Humphrey is the NFL’s highest-paid center with an average annual value of $18 million per season. Cam Jurgens of the Philadelphia Eagles is next on the list with $17 million, meaning Linderbaum is likely to surpass Spotrac’s projection and potentially flirt with a $20 million AAV and perhaps a total of $80 million in his next deal.
The other is the number of holes on the roster the Packers need to fill this offseason. In addition to center, the Packers could use help at defensive tackle and cornerback. They also may need to add depth at edge rusher if Rashan Gary is cut and Kingsley Engabare departs in free agency. Linebacker may also need some help with Quay Walker hitting the market, and Green Bay has limited cap space to work with, sitting $1.5 million over the cap and just $17.9 million under it if Jenkins’s release becomes official.
The Packers’ history at the center position also suggests it may be able to find a solution in the draft. Josh Myers had his struggles, but he was also a four-year starter after being selected in the second round of the 2021 draft. Corey Linsley was a seven-year starter and former All-Pro in Green Bay after he was taken in the fifth round of the 2014 draft. Scott Wells started at center and was a former Super Bowl champion after being taken in the seventh round in 2004.
Banking on a seventh-round pick to solve the problem is a little risky. But adding him, along with the possibility of re-signing Rhyan as a house of cards and depth piece, may be better than throwing all the chips into the Linderbaum basket.
While the Ravens could put an end to the speculation with the franchise tag, Linderbaum will be a topic in Green Bay until he finds a home. That leaves the Packers with a critical decision to make as they head into 2026.