Ravens pick up Hamilton's 5th-year option, decline Linderbaum's

The Baltimore Ravens announced Wednesday that they'll exercise the fifth-year option on safety Kyle Hamilton.

However, the Ravens won't be picking up the option for center Tyler Linderbaum, though they emphasized their goal to sign him to a bigger contract.

"We are exercising the fifth-year option for Kyle Hamilton, with the goal of working toward a multi-year contract extension," general manager Eric DeCosta said in a statement. "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."

Hamilton's 2026 salary will be $18.6 million, according to Over the Cap. Linderbaum's fifth-year option would have cost $23.4 million, which would've made the Iowa product the highest-paid center, surpassing Creed Humphrey's $18.1-million cap hit in two seasons.

Thanks to his versatility, Hamilton has become a staple of the Ravens' defense since entering the league. The Notre Dame product recorded 107 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, and an interception in 2024 to earn his second career Pro Bowl nod.

Hamilton said earlier in April that he wasn't too concerned about securing an extension in the immediate future, noting that he's "not in a rush to get it done necessarily," per team reporter Ryan Mink.

Baltimore could sign Linderbaum to a contract before his rookie deal expires after the 2025 season. Fellow 2022 draftee Cam Jurgens recently inked a four-year extension worth $17 million annually.

Linderbaum has started 49 games over three campaigns with the Ravens and earned Pro Bowl nods in each of the past two seasons.