Imagining a Market-Resetting Tyler Linderbaum Deal for the Lions
It’s a lot of money for the Lions, here’s how they can make it work
The Detroit Lions need to get a new starting center in free agency next week. They need it more than anything else on the roster. It’s time to take a swing.
There is no bigger swing than Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum. That is, of course, if he even makes it to the market. Which seems very unlikely at this point. But if he does make it to the market, it’s expected that he’s going to be the highest-paid center in NFL history. Let’s take a look at what that deal looks like for the Lions.
What a contract for Tyler Linderbaum could look like for the Lions
Let’s start here. Right now, the highest-paid center in the league is Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey. He makes $18 million a year. According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Linderbaum is looking for $25 million a year. That is significantly more than Humprey and a lot more than the $20 million AAV he was originally projected to get.
So if the Lions signed him to a deal, we’re looking at a four-year $100 million deal with $68 million in total guarantees. That is a lot of money. The Lions are going to have to structure this in a way that benefits them and Linderbaum at the same time.
| Year | Base Salary | Signing Bonus Proration | Roster Bonus | Cap Hit | Dead Cap (Pre-Season) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $2M (gtd) | $5.6M | $0 | $7.6M | $68M |
| 2027 | $16M (gtd) | $5.6M | $0 | $21.6M | $55.2M |
| 2028 | $18M (gtd) | $5.6M | $0 | $23.6M | $33.6M |
| 2029 | $26M | $5.6M | $0 | $31.6M | $5.6M |
| 2030 (void) | — | $5.6M accelerates | — | — | $5.6M |
They do that by stacking the dead money up front to keep early cap hits low and then add a void year. Here’s a breakdown.
If the Lions do a deal this way, they can extend him after the 2027 season when he’s 28 years old, provided he’s playing at the high level he’s expected to play at. That allows the Lions to spread out the big cap hits he’ll get in 2028 and beyond.
At the end of the day, this is a huge deal. Frankly, it’s hard to see the Lions doing it. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but they could get Connor McGovern a lot cheaper, and he’s not that far away from Linderbaum in terms of play.
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