Former Iowa Hawkeye Lands Record-Setting NFL Deal
It's the dawn of free agency in the NFL, and teams are scrambling, throwing Monopoly money figures at players they hope will vaunt their organization to the next level. Former Iowa Hawkeye and Solon, IA native just got paid a record-setting deal at his position.
Being that my Chicago Bears had a need at the center position, following the abrupt retirement of Pro Bowler Drew Dalman, I held out a modicum of hope that the team would give soon-to-be-free-agent center Tyler Linderbaum of the Baltimore Ravens a contract. After seeing the eye-popping deal he received, I'm glad we didn't spend that much. Linderbaum is among the best at his position, but at what a damn price to say the very least.
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From Black and Gold to Silver and Black:
Iowa's very own Tyler Linderbaum has reportedly agreed to a three-year, $81 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders, per Adam Schefter. As I've stressed, the deal is frigging massive.
In NFL terms, the real number is the guaranteed money. In Linderbaum's case, $60 million of his $81 million contract is guaranteed. The remaining $21 million is tethered to "incentives," as they're known (IE: monetary bonuses if Linderbaum makes the Pro Bowl, is named All-Pro, wins a Super Bowl, etc).
But here's where Linderbaum's deal gets absolutely eye-popping...
Tyler Linderbaum is the NFL's Highest Paid Center by a Country Mile:
Linderbaum's new deal averages out to $27 million/year. To put that in perspective, the previous highest paid center in the NFL was Creed Humphrey of the Kansas City Chiefs, whose deal averages out to $18 million/year. This is a monstrous deal for Linderbaum. Kudos to the beefy local boy.
Since being drafted by Baltimore in 2022, Linderbaum has become one of the most reliable players, let alone centers, in the entire league. He's played nearly every offensive snap for the Ravens, seldom receiving penalties of any kind, and was named to the Pro Bowl in three of his four seasons.
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The Raiders badly need offensive line help after quarterback Geno Smith essentially got murdered behind Las Vegas' miserable front last season. The Raiders are set to draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and he's not going to be half as effective as he was for the Hoosiers if the poor dude is on his back every other snap.
That said, Linderbaum has to continue his production (maybe even exceed it) for this deal to be worth it. The Raiders are flush with cap space (one of the lone perks of being a lousy football team, in most cases), so they can obviously afford it, but the figure, combined with Linderbaum departing Baltimore, is absolutely astounding.
If I'm Linderbaum, I'm taking my agent out for lobster and Pappy Van Winkle. Read more about Tyler Linderbaum agreeing to a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders on The Athletic.
Iowa Hawkeyes Who Have Won a Super Bowl
Gallery Credit: Tom Drake