Chris Lindstrom, Falcons Agree to 5-Year Contract Extension Worth Reported $105M

Chris Lindstrom is getting paid.

The Atlanta Falcons and the veteran guard have agreed on a five-year contract extension worth a reported $105 million extension. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network first reported the deal.

That will set the guard market, though it's no surprise that Lindstrom established the top end of it. The 26-year-old was a Pro Bowler in 2022 and hasn't missed a game in three seasons after only making five appearances in his 2019 rookie campaign.

Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus ranked him as the top guard in football last season and the No. 12 player overall, calling him "a phenomenal run blocker all season long" who "allowed just nine total pressures across 17 games and over 500 pass-blocking snaps. An underrated element: He committed just two penalties all season."

The Falcons selected him with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft, a selection that has proved to be an excellent investment. The team will be hoping that committing major money to him in an extension proves to be equally fruitful.

"Chris is such a technician," head coach Arthur Smith told reporters this season. "He works really hard at his craft. He plays the right way. I always joke that if you play inside on the line of scrimmage you are not a very well-adjusted person, that's why I love it, but it doesn't mean you can't be a great guy off the field."

He'll play under his $13.2 million fifth-year option in 2023 before his extension kicks in for the 2024 season.

The guard market is moving quickly on Monday, with the Denver Broncos agreeing to terms with former Baltimore Ravens guard Ben Powers on a four-year, $52 million deal with $28.5 million guaranteed, per the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.