In answering a question regarding offensive lineman Ben Cleveland, Baltimore Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh gave insight on center Tyler Linderbaum’s timetable to return.
On August 2, Baltimore Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh shared center Tyler Linderbaum would miss a few days of practice as he deals with “a minor soft tissue kind of thing.” Linderbaum, a 2023 Pro Bowler and rising star in the organization is a player that could afford to miss a few practices.
While it’s not ideal—what with the Ravens needing their offensive line to gel with three new starters in place, Linderbaum is a player capable of missing a bit of time and returning as if he never left.
A few days later, when Linderbaum didn’t return following their off-day on Sunday, Harbaugh shared the team is in no rush to put Linderbaum back onto the practice field.
“Tyler is out right now – they’re kind of evaluating him – he had some discomfort, and we’re going to hold him out,” Harbaugh said on August 5. “We’re going to be very cautious with Tyler, obviously. There is not anything he needs right now in terms of practice, so we’ll kind of rest him up there.”
On Wednesday, Harbaugh gave more clarity on Linderbaum’s injury when answering a question pertaining to offensive lineman Ben Cleveland, who has been taking the majority of snaps at center in Linderbaum’s stead.
“…but Ben [Cleveland] has done such a good job at center, and now we have Tyler out for a while – I think you’re going to see him at center for the next two weeks,” Harbaugh said.
An unofficial timetable of two weeks for Linderbaum places a possible return date before the final preseason game against the Green Bay Packers on August 24.
It’s unlikely Linderbaum would see snaps in the preseason as both the Ravens and majority of NFL teams are withholding their starters to mitigate injury risk. More likely, Linderbaum’s next appearance will be the first practice of the regular season as the Ravens prepare to play the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL’s opening game of the 2024 on Thursday, September 5.