Brandon Linder (born January 25, 1992) is an American former professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player who was a
center for eight seasons in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL). He was selected by the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
in the third round of the
2014 NFL draft. He played
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
at the
University of Miami
The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private university, private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. , the university enrolled 19,852 students in two colleges and ten schools across over ...
.
Professional career
Linder was selected by the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
in the third round, 93rd overall, of the
2014 NFL draft. He was selected to
Pro Football Focus (PFF)'s
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
team as a reserve his rookie year after starting 15 games at guard.
On October 5, 2015, he was placed on
injured reserve
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...
with a shoulder injury after starting three games.
In 2016, the Jaguars moved Linder to
center, where he started 14 games. Linder performed exceptionally at the center position, with PFF ranking him as the 3rd best center that year.
On July 25, 2017, Linder signed a five-year, $51.7 million extension with the Jaguars, making him the highest paid center in league history.
Linder started 13 games at center for the Jaguars in 2017, missing three games due to an illness.
In 2018, Linder started the first nine games at center before suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 10. He was placed on injured reserve on November 13, 2018.
In 2020, Linder missed four games due to injury before being placed on injured reserve on December 16, 2020, with an ankle injury.
On October 12, 2021, Linder was placed on injured reserve after suffering MCL and ankle injuries in Week 5. He was activated on November 27.
Linder announced his retirement on March 28, 2022.
References
External links
Jacksonville Jaguars bio*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Linder, Brandon
1992 births
Living people
American football offensive guards
Miami Hurricanes football players
Jacksonville Jaguars players
People from Southwest Ranches, Florida
Players of American football from Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Players of American football from Broward County, Florida
St. Thomas Aquinas High School (Florida) alumni