The most stunning contract during the first day of 2026 free agency went to Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum.
Reported as a three-year, $81 million deal with $60 million guaranteed, it’s actually better than that. Based on the preliminary terms, every penny is, as a practical matter, guaranteed.
Here are the full details, per a souce with knowledge of the terms:
1. Signing bonus: $20 million.
2. 2026 base salary: $10 million, fully guaranteed.
3. 2027 base salary: $30 million, fully guaranteed.
4. 2028 base salary: $21 million, guaranteed for injury at signing and fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2027 league year.
The 2027 vesting date makes the $81 million fully guaranteed as a practical matter, since the only way to avoid the third year would be to cut Linderbaum before next March — and to owe him $60 million for one season.
While Linderbaum has missed only two of 68 regular-season games, he missed nearly all of 2024 training camp with a neck injury. The Raiders are assuming $81 million in overall injury risk as to Linderbaum, as to his neck and any/every other body part.
He’ll make $27 million per year over the next three years, which increases the market for centers by $9 million per year, from $18 million.
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