With over $60 million in cap space available at the start of free agency, the Atlanta Falcons made sure to spend some serious cash. The team signed several free agents, but the biggest contract Atlanta handed out was Chris Lindstrom’s five-year extension.
By paying Lindstrom $102 million over the next five years, the former first-round pick became the highest-paid guard in the NFL. Nobody can deny it’s a lot of money to pay an interior lineman, however, Lindstrom’s age and production warranted this kind of lucrative contract.
Pro Football Focus rated Lindstrom as top-five at his position going into the 2023 season. The big man came in at No. 4 in PFF’s new guard rankings:
Since being drafted in 2019, Lindstrom has shown consistent improvement each year, and that’s reflected in his PFF ratings. After posting a 66.6 grade in 2019, he went up to a 77.1 in 2020, and then up to 83.7 in 2021.
Last season, Lindstrom recorded a league-leading 95.0 offensive grade from PFF. He finished with individual grades of 90 or above in seven games in 2022, including five of the last seven.
Lindstrom wasn’t the only Falcons offensive lineman to get paid this offseason, though. Right tackle Kaleb McGary signed a 3-year, 34.5 million contract after unsuccessfully testing the free-agent waters.
Atlanta’s offensive line had long been considered one of the biggest weaknesses on the roster, but things have really turned around over the last two years under head coach Arthur Smith.
There’s definitely still room for improvement in the pass protection department. Nonetheless, this group has come a long way.
