Tyler Linderbaum
Getty
Tyler Linderbaum will not be the Giants' center in 2026.
There had long been rumors of the New York Giants bringing one of John Harbaugh’s most important offensive linemen up from Baltimore. But alas, Tyler Linderbaum will not be joining Big Blue.
Linderbaum signed a massive, three-year, $81 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders, with $60 million in guaranteed money shortly after free agency opened, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic.
Linderbaum, a 2022 first-round pick of Harbaugh’s former team, the Baltimore Ravens, played 66 games — missing only two — over his first four years in the NFL. He was a three-time Pro Bowl player under Harbaugh before he was fired by Baltimore and took over with the Giants in January.
Tyler Linderbaum Signed With the Las Vegas Raiders
The Linderbaum-to-the-Giants news was hot after Harbaugh moved up I-95 to Northern New Jersey. But it had cooled substantially by the time free agency opened Monday.
So it wasn’t a huge surprise the Giants were not Linderbaum’s final destination, especially with the Raiders reportedly making him the highest-paid center in NFL history.
Linderbaum earned his contract since he is an elite center and was again in 2025. Linderbaum ranked fifth among 40 qualifying centers in overall grade (80.2), according to Pro-Football Focus, and he has a 96.2 pass-block win rate since 2022, which is second-best among NFL centers according to ESPN.
Aside from being an elite pass blocker, PFF also graded Linderbaum fourth among those 40 centers in run-blocking grade (83.7) in 2025.
The Raiders needed to pony up and pay for an offensive-line anchor after drafting running back Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 pick in 2025 and finished dead last in rushing-yards per game (77.5).
The Giants May Stick With John-Michael Schmitz at Center in 2026
The Giants missed out on center Cade Mays, the former Carolina Panthers center who signed with the Detroit Lions.
So even though they are sure to pick at least one offensive lineman to bolster that group at next month’s draft in Pittsburgh, the Giants may not choose a starting center with their seven selections.
John-Michael Schmitz, the Giants’ second-round pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, has one more season on his rookie contract and now looks like the starting center for New York in 2026.
Schmitz had an excellent rookie season by posting a 100% pass-win rate according to ESPN but has regressed in each subsequent year. Schmitz finished 29th in overall grade (60.5) per Pro-Football Focus and fell to 28th (60.9) and 23rd (62.8) among centers in pass-block grade and run-block grade.
Schmitz had battled injuries, since he has not played more than 15 games in any season with the Giants since joining them. He, of course, was a casualty of the Giants’ failed tush-push play against the Seattle Seahawks in 2023, since Schmitz sustained a shoulder injury that cost him three games.
Still, Schmitz is entering his walk year and could stand to improve under first-year offensive-line coach Mike Bloomgren.
Schmitz could also benefit from the likely offensive-line continuity. Guards Greg Van Roten and Jon Runyan are both likely to start the year on each side of Schmitz, plus Andrew Thomas should be back in his customary spot at left tackle, after his injury-plagued 2025 season.
The only question still remaining is whether the Giants can retain right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, a free agent.