Home in Massachusetts, the Falcons’ Chris Lindstrom was in the midst of preparing for the coming slate of football activities at a local performance gymnasium. Having played the final four games of the regular season, following his return from a broken toe suffered in a Week 1 loss to the Vikings, Lindstrom was eager to get back with his teammates and coaches for a bounce-back campaign.
Then the world shut down.
The COVID-19 pandemic kept NFL players from participating in offseason football activities with their respective teams for the first time since the 2011 lockout. Players were forced to work out on their own, with many losing access to their regular local training facilities.
Lindstrom said he “ordered a gym” for his house so that he could keep working out. He continued a cardio regimen and maintained good running shape. But when it came to the needed on-field technical teaching to play the interior line, he was at a loss.
At the end of June, and back in the Atlanta area, Lindstrom received a text from former Falcons offensive lineman Kynan Forney, who asked if he’d like some in-person instruction at DASH Performance in Lawrenceville. Lindstrom figured it would be a good idea to at least give it a try. From there, he started training with Forney at least twice a week.
It was as close to he came to simulating a practice all summer long.
“I treated (July) as my OTAs with Kynan,” Lindstrom said. “We get a minimum of an hour and a half to two hours of O-line specific work. I feel like it’s all detailed out individually. You can’t ever re-create practice, but I feel really good at where I’m at fundamentally to give myself the best foundation I can.”
Lindstrom said he’s worked to improve his hand placement and footwork as he enters his second NFL season. But since Lindstrom already possessed a good fundamental skill set, Forney said there hasn’t been much to teach in this department.
Instead, Forney has shown Lindstrom some tips on how to deal with the more athletic types of defensive linemen across the league.
“All I’m trying to do is to help make his job easier,” Forney said. “I’m not trying to change a whole lot on him. I’m just showing him a couple of tricks that helped me when I got in some trouble. I’m just trying to pass it on to him. It’s like paying it forward.”
At first, the workouts consisted of just Forney and Lindstrom. Lindstrom then asked right tackle Kaleb McGary to attend. For the group’s final workout before the start of the Falcons’ preseason, teammate Sean Harlow joined.
Lindstrom and McGary became fast friends at the 2019 Senior Bowl and furthered their relationship at the NFL scouting combine. They joked about being drafted by the same team before the reality of it occurred. The two friends were excited to play with one another as rookies before Lindstrom broke his toe. The injury cost Lindstrom 11 games.
McGary hated seeing Lindstrom go through the injury and has been impressed to see how he has responded since.
“I think he’s extremely motivated,” McGary said. “As his friend, I had to watch him go through that and it sucks. Not only to see a brother on the field go down, but someone who is your buddy. I genuinely like Chris. He’s a great guy. Watching him deal with that injury, it sucked for all of us, for everyone. It’s good to see him back. He’s fighting his butt off and he’s doing everything to be ready to play.”
At a recent training session, Lindstrom, with McGary simulating a defender, rose up from his three-point stance and extended his arms into the center of his teammate’s chest. Forney’s eyes widened before telling the young guard that he just went through another good rep.
Forney believes Lindstrom has the potential to be a special player in Atlanta for the long haul.
“He doesn’t get tired when we work out,” Forney said. “I get tired before he does. We’ll be out there a while. There have been times I’ve looked up and where we’ve been out there an hour and a half to two hours. He’s not tired at all. I’m like, ‘Anything else you want to do?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, show me that step on this or that.’ I’m like, ‘OK, let’s do it then.’ It pumps me up because how can you say no to somebody who wants to get better?
“To me, that’s the type of guy I want to play with. … He brings the juice to the workout. There are some guys who step out on the practice field and they got their black cloud of negative energy and pretty soon it seeps into everyone else. He comes out there bright-eyed and, ‘Let’s go.’ He’s got that grit in his teeth. That vein is pumping in his neck.”
The Falcons’ offensive line will hope for better health and production this coming season. The Falcons ranked 30th in the NFL at 85.1 rushing yards per game in 2019. The line allowed 50 total sacks (28th in the league) on 684 passing attempts (first in the league). With the bulk of the team’s contributors up front, including a healthy Lindstrom, returning for the 2020 season, the Falcons hope an improved offensive line will be able to take shape.
Doing his part, Lindstrom said he has felt tangible results over the past month.
“It’s really, really valuable,” Lindstrom said. “You’re doing stuff on your own, you’re getting the work in. I’m always videotaping myself and going through it. Always having another set of eyes, doing different drills with different coaching, it’s really helpful. Kynan and his wife are amazing. She’s out here taping every single rep. We’re going through it, reviewing it.
“I’m so thankful for it. Every single rep I get a coaching point. It’s almost like being out on the practice field. Everything is videotaped. You have over an hour worth of film to watch on your own. He’ll send me the clips. It’s really good.
“To feel my growth over the past month, too, just from a month ago to now, the progress I’ve felt I’ve made is amazing.”
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