Ravens pick up Kyle Hamilton’s fifth-year option; Linderbaum’s declined

Kyle Hamilton fifth-year option is picked up while Tyler Linderbaum’s isn’t. What’s next for both?

With the draft now done, the next step on the agenda was the fifth-year options for each team with a first-round draft pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. The deadline is Thursday, May 1, so on April 30, the Ravens announced their decisions for both of safety Kyle Hamilton and center Tyler Linderbaum.

The Ravens picked up Hamilton’s fifth-year option but did not pick up Linderbaum’s. Neither of these decisions come as a surprise as the Ravens will work with both to get them both signed to long-term extensions.

Hamilton’s decision is a no-brainer. He will likely reset the safety market. The highest-paid safety is the recently extended Detroit Lions’ Kerby Joseph, who signed a four-year, $86 million contract, with his $21.5 million average annual value. Houston Texans’ cornerback Derek Stingley’s $30 million a year is the highest per-year amount for a cornerback. Hamilton isn’t expected to get that high but don’t be surprised if his extension blows Joseph’s number out of the water. At only $18.6 million, Hamilton’s projected fifth-year option amount is a massive steal, ergo, a no-brainer. Hamilton is now under contract through the 2026 season.

Linderbaum is more complicated. Fifth-year options for offensive linemen are not position based. Because both he and Hamilton have made multiple Pro Bowls, their fifth-year option salaries are the same as the franchise tag amount. As explained above, it’s a bargain for Hamilton. For Linderbaum though, it averages the top-paid linemen, including tackles, which means the tender comes out to around $23.4 million. The highest-paid center is currently Kansas City Chiefs’ Creed Humphrey at $18 million a year. Not exactly a great bargain for the Ravens.

For Linderbaum, that means 2025 is his last season under contract. It also means the Ravens won’t franchise tag him at the end of the year if they can’t reach an extension, because it will only go up from where it is now. Spotrac has the projected franchise tag for offensive linemen around $27 million. That puts pressure on the Ravens to get his extension done now. If not, they will have to work similar magic to Ronnie Stanley this offseason to extend Linderbaum next offseason before he reaches free agency.

The Ravens extended Ronnie Stanley midseason in 2020, right before he suffered a significant ankle injury. Expect the Ravens to figure it out with Linderbaum similarly, either this summer or midseason. With Philadelphia Eagles’ Cam Jurgens signing his extension at $17 million a year, Linderbaum can slide right in between Jurgens and Humphrey, hopefully making it an easy negotiation.