Falcons to send 1st-round OL Lindstrom to IR

Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn announced on Monday that first-round rookie guard Chris Lindstrom is headed to the injured reserve.

Lindstrom will undergo surgery to repair the small broken bone in his foot that he suffered during the Falcons' Week 1 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Under NFL rules, Lindstrom would be eligible to return to practice in Week 8 and to game action by Week 10. In the meantime, he's expected to wear a walking boot for approximately eight weeks, a source told the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

The Falcons made their offensive line a priority during the draft in April, taking Lindstrom with the 14th overall pick before trading up to snag right tackle Kaleb McGary with the 31st.

Quarterback Matt Ryan told Pelissero last week that he considers Lindstrom to be one of the team's two biggest difference-makers going into the 2019 campaign. Six-year veteran Jamon Brown will step in for Lindstrom as the Falcons' starting right guard.