With all the talk of who wasn’t going to be playing center for the Baltimore Ravens in 2026 dominating conversations, what there hasn’t been much talk of is who is going to replace 3-time Pro Bowler Tyler Linderbaum.
The Ravens went out and found that player on Tuesday, signing 6-foot-4, 301-pound center Danny Pinter away from the Indianapolis Colts.
“The Ravens and C Danny Pinter have reached agreement on a deal, per source,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on his official X account. “Baltimore gets much-needed help at center. Pinter spent five seasons with Indianapolis.”
Linderbaum, a former 1st round pick, turned the NFL on its ear on the 1st day of free agency on March 9 by signing a 4-year, $81 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders, making him the highest-paid interior offensive lineman in NFL history.
Pinter’s addition came with much less fanfare but still filled a pressing need.
“The Baltimore Ravens are bringing in free-agent center Danny Pinter following what has been described by some sources as a good visit,” Ravens reporter Nic Mason wrote on his official X account. “He spent five seasons with the Midnight Movers, the first three of which were at guard. He’s even caught a touchdown before!”
Ravens Might Have Different Plan for Danny Pinter
While Pinter is being sold as the starter for the Ravens after signing, there might be another plan in play for the Ravens, who are desperate for depth on the offensive line.
Another plan like possibly taking a center in the 2026 NFL draft.
From Heavy’s Jason Garcia: “Pinter, a former fifth-round selection of the Colts, started his career as a guard before making the switch to center in the 2024 season. The new Raven did get much playing time in the 2025 season, playing just 138 offensive snaps, as he was the backup to Tanor Bortolini.”
Pinter was an All-MAC selection at Ball State in 2019 and a 5th round pick by the Colts in 2020, and played his first 6 seasons there. While details of Pinter’s contract with the Ravens weren’t disclosed right away, he has approximately $10.1 million in career earnings through the end of the 2025 season.
Spotrac projected Pinter’s market value as something in the realm of a 1-year, $2.4 million contract. He played in 2025 on a 1-year, $1.66 million contract.
Linderbaum Called NFL’s ‘Biggest Winner’ in FA
Less than 1 week after he agreed to his massive contract, Linderbaum was crowned as the NFL’s “Biggest Winner” in free agency by Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon.
“Linderbaum reset the center market with an AAV that is 50 percent higher than former leader Creed Humphrey ($18 million), while the $10-million-per-year guard club saw its membership rise by 30 percent,” Gagnon wrote. “Teams are really starting to value interior offensive linemen more heavily.”
If you’re into analytics and want to compare Linderbaum and Pinter in that manner, according to Pro Football Focus, Linderbaum was the elite of the elite at his position as he registered an 80.2 overall grade in 2025.
By those same metrics, Pinter was not very good — he registered an overall grade of just 56.5 in 2025, which would have put him among hte NFL’s very worst at his position.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Ravens Find 6-foot-4, 301-Pound Replacement for $81 Million Pro Bowler appeared first on Heavy Sports.