Chris Lindstrom is NFL's Best Guard. He Wants More for Falcons — And Himself

Atlanta Falcons right guard Chris Lindstrom wants to win a Super Bowl, but he's driven by more than a trophy.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Chris Lindstrom stood at the end of a long line of Atlanta Falcons offensive linemen, his helmet resting in the fingertips of his right hand and his face sporting a smile fit for a sunny June day.

The 28-year-old Lindstrom struck up a conversation with 33-year-old tackle Jake Matthews and watched from the background as Atlanta worked through what head coach Raheem Morris dubbed a "young guy period."

Six years ago, Lindstrom would've been on the field. Now, he's the established veteran with three consecutive seasons of Pro Bowl trips and second-team All-Pro honors.

But the 2019 first-round pick is still driven by the same motivators as when he first stepped foot in Flowery Branch.

"It starts with loving and caring about what you're doing," Lindstrom told Atlanta Falcons on SI during OTAs. "It's like, if you care about this -- and I care about being a pro and being the best I can be for my teammates -- that's the foundation of it. And then everything is really pride in the details of everything."

Lindstrom's evolution hasn't been as glaringly obvious externally due to the nature of his position, but his resume -- and Atlanta's five-year, $105 million financial commitment in March 2023 -- speaks volumes.

The journey started after the 2020 season.

As a rookie in 2019, Lindstrom broke his right foot and played only five games. In 2020, he watched as the coaching staff and front office that brought him to Atlanta were fired after an 0-5 start. He started all 16 games, but by season's end, had no clue the direction the Falcons were headed with their staff.

Then, offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford arrived in the spring of 2021. Lindstrom acknowledged there are different waves of influencers in the life of professional athletes, who need a village to reach such heights.

Ledford became the mayor of Lindstrom's proverbial village -- and both remain in Atlanta as a result.

"I was probably in a crucial point of my career when I met him," Lindstrom said. "My third year, it's kind of make or break as a first-round pick. And he's just pouring confidence in me, pouring technique and fundamentals. I got really lucky. I really fit the system."

Lindstrom's on-field play blossomed as a result. His Pro Football Focus grade jumped by six points, and he allowed only 31 pressures on 661 pass blocking snaps, a 4.7% clip.

The Boston College standout made his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2022, when he also earned his first second-team All-Pro nod. He did it again in 2023 and again in 2024.

Lindstrom arrives at the team's facility wanting to find something to work on every single day -- be it an OTA practice in June or a Wednesday practice during the season. He knows his strengths and wants to reaffirm them. He understands his shortcomings and wants to better them.

The pursuit of perfection -- or at least as close to it as an offensive lineman can get -- is what keeps Lindstrom coming back for more. But it's also Ledford, who's created an authentic and energetic culture that doubles as a strong work environment.

And, of course, the intrinsic feeling common among athletes that no matter how accomplished one is, they're never safe.

"I don't think you ever really get to that point," Lindstrom said. "I think if you asked Jake Matthews in Year 12, I don't think you'd get to that point."

But Lindstrom is entrenched as a Falcons cornerstone. He was a team captain in 2023 and has been Pro Football Focus's highest-graded guard each of the last three years. In 2024, he allowed only one sack and eight quarterback hits.

Lindstrom and fellow 2019 first-round pick Kaleb McGary are tied for the second-longest tenured players on Atlanta's offense, only behind Matthews. The trio has played together since 2019.

Left guard Matthew Bergeron, a second-round pick in 2023, is entering his third year as a starter. Newly extended center Ryan Neuzil has been with the team since 2021, though this season will be his first as the full-time starter.

Lindstrom grew up in Dudley, Mass., but he's found a second home inside Ledford's offensive line room in Flowery Branch.

"I think there's pride in what you do as a unit, and I think we all care," Lindstrom said. "We've been very fortunate that (our) starting five, we've been together for three years now, four of us for five years, so it's pretty special.

"Coach Ledford has been here for five, and we've really been able to pour that foundation of who we are and what we are, and to be a part of that is special."

Lindstrom's resume has him perhaps at the top of the list of the NFL's best guards. But he wants team success to follow.

Entering his seventh NFL season, Lindstrom still hasn't finished a season with a winning record, let alone been to the playoffs. And so, for Lindstrom, a personable and oft-smiling leader, there remain several boxes to check on his career bucket list.

"I want to win a Super Bowl and I want to be a part of a special team," Lindstrom said. "I always want to improve myself -- you know, still haven't been first-team All-Pro. It's always team goals first and then individual. So, I mean, you're always working to improve and special to be a part of a great unit.

"I'd love to be first in the NFL in rushing and first in sacks, and to see other guys succeed. And so, I'd say the biggest thing is being a part of some special team success."

Lindstrom hopes he finds it in 2025, and he's confident he will.

The Falcons are motivated, and they pair motivation with a collection of talent -- quarterback Michael Penix Jr., running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier and receivers Drake London, Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud -- that Lindstrom believes is the hardest-working group of skill players in the league.

That may ultimately be the blend that snaps a seven-year playoff drought -- and adds another tally to Lindstrom's ever-growing list of career accomplishments.

"It's really talented, guys have played a lot of experience -- and we haven't played in the playoffs, but we have guys, and we've played together, and there's real connection between us," Lindstrom said. "That's the start of something special, so we just got to be on it."