His job is thankless. Seventy thousand fans filling a stadium are not fixating their binoculars on No. 63 in black.

But his job is exceptionally important to the entire operation. Down-in and down-out, he is the player unlocking doors in the offense. That’s why the Atlanta Falcons made him the highest-paid guard in NFL history last year at five years, $102.5 million.

Meet Chris Lindstrom, the best offensive guard in the NFL.

On this episode of “How the NFL Works, Lindstrom explains his job in meticulous detail. A profession that is equal parts brain and brawn. True, he must pummel linebackers into the turf. But being the best guard in football demands far more thinking than anyone knows. Lindstrom explains everything that goes into a wide-zone run, the “flow state,” how he harnesses intensity, how he bulked up in college, the toughest defensive tackles he’s ever faced and a ton more.

This has been a peculiar season for the Falcons, obviously.

We sat down with GM Terry Fontenot ahead of their wild offseason. Since then, the mandate’s been clear. This team expects to win in 2024 — and beyond — with their quarterback of the present (Kirk Cousins) and the future (Michael Penix Jr.) on the roster. One Thursday Night Football shootout against Tampa Bay supplied plenty of hope. But after racing to 6-3, the Falcons have backtracked with a pair of losses. They’ll try to get back on track against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

It’ll sure help to have Lindstrom — PFF’s No. 1-rated guard into 2024 — paving the way.

You can watch the video of our conversation above. If audio is preferred, just click that icon to the left of the screen on your desktop. This episode is also available on our Apple, Spotify and YouTube channels.

Here is the written Q&A transcript:

Thanks, all!

Go Long is your forever home for longform journalism in pro football.

Previous episodes of “How the NFL Works” below:

* S1, E5: Inside Kenny Clark's Lair

* S1 E4: 'Get a Quarterback' with Super Bowl champ and ex-NFL exec Jim Monos

* S1 E3: Resurrecting a Franchise with Ron Wolf

* S1 E2: Life After Football with Ryan Leaf

* S1 E1: Building the 2024 Quarterback with Quincy Avery

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