The Ravens exercised Hamilton's fifth-year option for the 2026 season on Wednesday, meaning he'll stay with Baltimore this year before becoming an unrestricted free agent next offseason. His fifth-year option is worth $18.6 million.

The Ravens announced the decisions Wednesday afternoon, 24 hours before the fifth-year option deadline. It, however, had become clear in recent weeks that this is the direction they’d go in, and that had nothing to do with Linderbaum’s performance on the field, where he’s been one of Baltimore’s most consistent players.

The Ravens picked up the fifth-year option for safety Kyle Hamilton, but not center Tyler Linderbaum. General Manager Eric DeCosta announced the moves Wednesday, one day before the May 1 deadline for 2022 first-round picks.