Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum returned to practice on Monday after missing the past few weeks with a soft tissue injury, albeit in a red non-contact jersey.
The third-year pro has been out since the beginning of the month, though his status is trending upwards. Head coach John Harbaugh said after Saturday’s preseason finale that Linderbaum should be available for the season opener on Sept. 5, and before that, he said the center was “on schedule.”
“Yes. [Linderbaum] is right on schedule, [he’s] just kind of right where we were planning,” Harbaugh said on Aug. 19. “He won’t be in any kind of contact work this week, but he’s in all of the ACT practices that we do – he’s been doing all of that, so, he’s in a good place.”
A 2022 first-round pick out of Iowa, Linderbaum has quickly established himself as one of the top centers in football. He earned an exceptional 78.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus after allowing no sacks and taking just four penalties on 917 total snaps last season. The 24-year-old also earned his first Pro Bowl selection, with more likely on the way.
With Linderbaum sidelined, the Ravens had a chance to experiment a bit at center. Ben Cleveland, traditionally a guard, got a good deal of reps at center during the preseason, and aside from one really bad snap against the Atlanta Falcons, did a decent job. Seventh-round rookie Nick Samac also saw a bit of action, though he was carted off the field during Saturday’s finale. There’s also the versatile Patrick Mekari, who can slot in pretty much anywhere when needed.
It’s great for other players to get some reps, but the Ravens’ offensive line is obviously at its best when Linderbaum is in the middle of it. Given all the questions elsewhere up front, his health will be paramount to the unit’s success this season.
