Andrew Buller-Russ
We’re less than 24 hours away from when teams can begin negotiating in NFL free agency. The Washington Commanders, who boast over $80 million in salary cap space, are expected to be particularly busy.
After a disappointing 5-12 season, the Commanders could get aggressive, capitalizing on having Jayden Daniels playing under a rookie contract. Recently, the Commanders released former Pro Bowl center Tyler Biadasz, who has since signed with the Los Angeles Chargers. Now, the Commanders could be closing in on a significant upgrade over their former starting center.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Commanders could “heavily pursue” free agent center Tyler Linderbaum. That is, if Linderbaum doesn’t agree to re-sign with the Baltimore Ravens first.
“Should he not re-sign with the Ravens, there is a belief among teams that the Commanders will heavily pursue C Tyler Linderbaum in free agency, per multiple sources,” Schultz wrote. “Washington recently released their starting center Tyler Biadasz.”
Linderbaum, a three-time Pro Bowler, is widely viewed as the best center available this offseason. He’d be a huge signing for a Commanders team that saw its offense slip to 22nd in scoring after ranking fifth in 2024.
Linderbaum arrived as the 25th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He’s started all 66 games he’s appeared in since becoming a first-round pick, only missing two games due to injury in 2023, but he still earned Pro Bowl honors for his performance.
Pro Football Focus ranked Biadasz 11th among centers last season. Linderbaum graded 5th-best, earning very strong marks as a run blocker (4th-best). Linderbaum is expected to become the NFL’s highest-paid center of all-time, commanding a salary north of $20 million per season.
Related: 2026 NFL Mock Draft: Round 1 Projections Before NFL Free Agency
