One Vikings Target Is Headed for a Market-Setting Contract

The Minnesota Vikings are widely expected to be in the market for a new center. Top pending free agent Tyler Linderbaum could plug that hole, but he’ll be expensive if the franchise wants to enter those sweepstakes, a PFF contract projection revealed.

Last offseason, the Vikings wanted to upgrade the middle of their offensive line and acquired four-time Pro Bowler Ryan Kelly. An aging player with injury concerns, the Vikings were convinced his on-field talent would outweigh the risk involved. The long-time Colts blocker appeared in only eight games and suffered three concussions, certainly putting his NFL future in jeopardy.

Retirement could be on the horizon, or the Vikings might say “goodbye” after one season. His 2026 salary is not guaranteed. Either way, the Vikings need a replacement.

On the roster are backups Blake Brandel — a converted tackle — and Michael Jurgens, who was drafted in the 7th round of the 2024 Draft. They are solid depth players, but if the Vikings truly want to solidify the offensive line, acquiring a high-level center could be the preferred move.

Linderbaum has been the center for the Baltimore Ravens over the last four years. The former first-round pick is set to become a free agent in March. Pro Football Focus ranked him as this year’s third-best free agent, behind only Trey Hendrickson and George Pickens.

If their contract projection for the Iowa alumnus comes true, the Vikings would have to swallow a massive salary. PFF projects a four-year contract, with an annual pay of $20 million, which would reset the center market.

Creed Humphrey of the Kansas City Chiefs is the top-paid center, making an annual $18 millions. Eagles blocker Cam Jurgens is set at $17 million. Last year’s free agent prize Drew Dalman signed a deal worth $14 million a year with the Bears, and ranks third.

PFF wrote about Linderbaum, “Linderbaum ranked as the fifth-highest graded center in the NFL in 2025 and has improved his PFF grade in every season since entering the league, all while heading toward free agency at just 25 years old. While he remains imperfect in pass protection, he has earned PFF pass-blocking grades above 60.0 in three consecutive seasons. He is among the league’s best run blockers, however, having posted a PFF run-blocking grade above 80.0 in three of his four NFL seasons.”

His style is comparable to that of former Vikings center Garrett Bradbury, but he’s the Pro Bowl version of the veteran. Linderbaum is an athletic and undersized interior protector who excels in the ground game. While it’s not his strong suit, his pass protection isn’t a huge liability. Last season, he allowed only two sacks and one QB hit.

Baltimore declined the fifth-year option a year ago. The simple reason is that the NFL doesn’t differentiate between specific OL positions and that option would have been in the range of the highest-paid centers. For the same reason, he’s unlikely to draw the franchise tag, which would pay Linderbaum roughly $27 million in 2026. That’s costly but acceptable for a tackle, but ridiculous for a center.

The Vikings are currently expected to be way over the salary cap. Several moves need to be made to be cap-compliant. The good news is that it’s pretty easy to do just that and find contracts to restructure or terminate.

Still, finding the salary cap room to hand a player a huge $80 million contract would be a challenge. Teams, including the Vikings, usually structure contracts in a way that gives signings low cap hits in the first year of the deal, so it wouldn’t be impossible by any means.

While Kelly’s status is in question, the other four starters are expected to return for the 2026 season. Both tackles Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw aim to be in better physical shape in the upcoming campaign after struggling with injuries all year. Guards Will Fries and Donovan Jackson hope for improvement under new OL coach Keith Carter.

Linderbaum would be expensive, but 25-year-olds with three Pro Bowls on their resume don’t often become available.

Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.