Guard · Atlanta Falcons
Chris Lindstrom
No. 63 · 8th season
The Falcons are paying a lot to protect whoever comes next
Before the quarterback question gets answered, the Falcons quietly answered a different one.
Chris Lindstrom plays guard — one of the less glamorous jobs in football. Guards work in the interior of the offensive line, the people whose names you rarely learn unless something goes wrong. Atlanta just made Lindstrom one of the highest-paid players at his position in the league, at more than $20 million a year. That kind of number is a statement.
It also comes on the heels of a two-year, $45 million extension the team gave left tackle Jake Matthews last year. Two enormous contracts. Both for people who never touch the ball.
What the Falcons are building is a wall — and they're building it before they've decided who it's protecting. That's either a show of confidence in whoever the franchise quarterback turns out to be, or a quiet admission that they know the quarterback question isn't settled. Either way, Lindstrom gets paid.
Mike Garafolo
@MikeGarafolo
With Chris Lindstrom at $20m+ per year, the #Falcons have made a major investment in their two guards, as well as the two-year, $45 million extension they did with LT Jake Matthews last year. Now, about the guy they block for…
4:40 PM · Aug 1, 2026
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