Chris

Lindstrom

Lindstrom suffered the ankle issue in Week 14. He entered Sunday listed as questionable but was ruled out after testing things out in pre-game warmups. Left tackle Jake Matthews is active, but both members of the right side of the Falcons’ line are out.

Lindstrom left in the second quarter with an apparent leg injury. His absence now leaves the Falcons without four starters on the offensive line, leaving a rag-tag group of lineman protecting Desmond Ridder, who has already been sack-fumbled into a safety against the Buccaneers. Lindstrom is questionable to return.

First reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Lindstrom will remain in Atlanta under what’s being called a “mega extension”. The Falcons made Lindstrom the 14th overall pick of the 2019 and will retain him through the 2028 season. A 2022 Pro Bowler and Second-team All-Pro, Lindstrom was set to play 2023 under his fifth-year rookie option.

Drafted in 2019, Lindstrom only played five games as a rookie because of a foot injury. His lack of experience showed as a rookie, but he improved in each of the next two seasons. In 2021, Pro Football Focus ranked him as their No. 6 guard. He allowed 31 pressures, but none of them resulted in a sack, and he was graded as an elite run-blocker by PFF. After an impressive third campaign, Lindstrom has more than earned the $13.2 million he will make on the option in 2023.

The rookie has spent the past three months on I.R. with a broken foot he suffered in his NFL debut. Lindstrom is expected to start against the Panthers, though he won’t play every snap. The Falcons O line could certainly use a jolt after no-showing in last week’s loss to New Orleans (nine sacks allowed).

The team officially designated him to return from injured reserve, opening his 21-day practice window. Lindstrom has been absent since initially breaking his foot in the season opener. Atlanta’s o-line currently ranks No. 28 in Football Outsiders’ Adjusted Line Yards (3.65) metric, but the recent addition of John Wetzel and Lindstrom’s pending return could create lanes against the Panthers, 49ers, Jaguars, and Bucs to close the year.

Lindstrom will be in a walking boot for the next two months after breaking a small bone in his foot. It’s a huge loss to Atlanta’s interior line. The Falcons are hoping Lindstrom can return from IR late in the year. Jamon Brown will start in Lindstrom’s place.

The first-round rookie was seen in a walking boot after Sunday’s defeat and will undergo further testing Monday, though it doesn’t sound like the Falcons are expecting good news. A broken foot would almost assuredly send Lindstrom to I.R. and could very well end his season. Wes Schweitzer replaced Lindstrom at right guard on Sunday and should start there going forward.

“It’s an indicator of where we see him starting right now,” coach Dan Quinn said. “He had earned a lot of that through the spring, about where his performance was.” Barring a massive preseason face plant, the 22-year-old rookie will be in the starting lineup for Week 1.

The deal includes a fifth-year team option for 2023. Lindstrom (6’4/308) made 48 career starts for Boston College and earned 2018 first-team All-ACC after allowing zero sacks and only three QB hurries. Lindstrom blew up the Combine, finishing second among offensive linemen in SPARQ score (96th percentile) with a 4.91 forty and 25 bench-press reps. Lindstrom’s elite athleticism and tackle-length arms (34 1/8") are major pluses in pass protection, and he flashes run-blocking pop on tape. He should be a big part of a reinvigorated Falcons offensive line.