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The Ravens have “got some work to do” in their negotiations with Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum ahead of the start of free agency next month, general manager Eric DeCosta said this week.

In an appearance on “The Inner Circle Podcast,” DeCosta commented publicly on Linderbaum’s contract status for the first time since the Ravens’ season ended. DeCosta was not asked about the pending free agent at either of the team’s news conferences last month, one after the firing of coach John Harbaugh and another after the hiring of coach Jesse Minter.

“We’ve got some work to do on Tyler Linderbaum’s contract,” DeCosta said. “He’s a free agent. We strongly hope to have him back. He’s a great player for us and a great leader.”

In April, after the Ravens declined Linderbaum’s fifth-year option, which would’ve been worth $23.4 million in 2026, DeCosta said in a statement that the team intended to keep Linderbaum in Baltimore for the “long term.” In August, DeCosta called Linderbaum a “linchpin” of the offensive line and said contract talks were ongoing.

Linderbaum, a three-time Pro Bowl selection and locker room leader, is not only the Ravens’ top pending free agent but also one of the NFL’s most coveted. Pro Football Focus projects he’ll sign a four-year, $80 million contract this offseason, with $53 million guaranteed. Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey, a first-team All-Pro in 2024 and 2025, has the highest average annual contract value at the position ($18 million) after signing a four-year, $72 million extension in August 2024.

Linderbaum said after the season that he “absolutely” wants to remain in Baltimore. The Ravens have $13.4 million in “effective” salary cap space, according to Over the Cap, and could free up more if they sign quarterback Lamar Jackson to an extension or restructure his contract.

The NFL’s so-called legal tampering period, during which agents of pending free agents can start to negotiate deals with new teams, starts March 9. Players can sign deals beginning on March 11.

“I think biggest thing, obviously, is what’s best for me and the family,” Linderbaum said last month. “Then, obviously, get input from other people, and then your agent.”

DeCosta called the Ravens’ 8-9 season “disappointing” but was bullish on the team’s 2026 offense. He said the Ravens have “two good tackles” in left tackle Ronnie Stanley and right tackle Roger Rosengarten. But DeCosta acknowledged that the team needs to “augment the guard position,” a weakness in 2025. He said he expected Emery Jones Jr., a third-round pick who was limited during his rookie year by his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery, to take a step forward in Year 2 and win a starting spot inside.

“I think all the pieces are there,” DeCosta said of the offense.