The Baltimore Ravens have made their decision on their 2022 first-round draft picks’ – safety Kyle Hamilton, and center Tyler Linderbaum – fifth-year options. Baltimore has decided to exercise its fifth-year option on Hamilton; however, it has declined to pick up the option on Linderbaum.
“We are exercising the fifth-year option for Kyle Hamilton, with the goal of working toward a multi-year contract extension,” Baltimore Ravens general manager DeCosta said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon. “While we will not apply the fifth-year option to Tyler Linderbaum, it is our intention for him to remain a Baltimore Raven long term.”
There is no doubt that the Ravens would like to keep two of their core pieces in Baltimore for years to come, but it made financial sense to pick up Hamilton’s option, not Linderbaum’s, considering the money that is involved.
Ravens Make Fifth-Year Option Decisions on Two Pro Bowl Players
Kyle Hamilton Is Worth The Price Tag
There was no surprise for Hamilton, who was the 14th overall selection by the Ravens in 2022. He was named a first-team All-Pro in 2023 and a second-team All-Pro this past season. Hamilton was named to the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie Team in 2022. In his three seasons, he has recorded 201 tackles, seven sacks, five interceptions, four forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and a defensive touchdown.
Hamilton’s salary, if he plays on his option, would be 18.6 million, the eighth-highest cap hit in the NFL among all safeties. A four-year, $85 million contract extension that Detroit Lions All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph received in March made him the highest-paid safety in league history, with an annual value of $21.25 million. That is the benchmark that the Ravens and Hamilton would like to come to a deal.
Although Hamilton would like to have it ideally done by the start of the season, he has not set a deadline for a deal to get done. He would rather be focused on the upcoming football season and will let his agent take care of negotiations while becoming a better player in 2025, he told reporters during the start of OTAs.
“I would like to,” Hamilton said. “I don’t really like worrying about outside stuff during the season. That’s been since like high school, honestly. I kind of just want to be able to play football; focus on that. If that stuff is going on during the season, that’s what I have agents for. They’ll do a good job with that. That’s such a hypothetical at this point that I’ll just cross that bridge when I get there.”
Tyler Linderbaum, A Victim of the Price Tag for OL
Linderbaum had his option declined not because of his lack of productivity or availability, evidenced by his earning Pro Bowl honors the past two seasons. The reason for Baltimore declining the option is that he will be playing under a price tag of $23.4 million. That cap figure is $5.3 million higher than the highest-paid center in the NFL, Creed Humphrey of the Kansas City Chiefs. Lindenbaum’s cap hit is high because the price tag for offensive linemen equates to the top 10 offensive linemen as a whole. The cap figure includes tackles and guards, and not for one position along the offensive line. The logical starting point is for the Ravens to negotiate at the number that Humphrey would make, and Philadelphia Eagles Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens, who inked a four-year, $68 million extension earlier this month.
Linderbaum briefly talked to the media about the Jurgens extension last week at the start of Ravens OTAs.
“He’s obviously one of the best centers in the league, a really high-caliber player,” Linderbaum said. “Excited for him.
“I’ll let my agent handle that. I’m just focusing on becoming as good of a football player as I can be for this team. [I’m]coming in here every day and putting my best foot forward. Let all the other things take care of themselves. I’m giving my all to the team right now; that’s my focus, and that’s how it should be.”
Both players would like to focus on football and said they will let their agents handle the contract negotiations. However, after declining Linderbaum’s option, he would most likely take top priority heading into training camp.
Main Image: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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