The Falcons watched one member of their 2016 NFC champion team call it a career.
One past Pro Bowl performer for the Atlanta Falcons has called it a career. Keanu Neal, who played eight seasons but five in Atlanta, announced his retirement from the NFL Sunday.
Neal took to Instagram announcing his decision to leave the game. He thanked the place where it all began for him.
“Wanna thank the Atlanta Falcons for drafting and giving me a chance to make an impact,” Neal shared online.
He also said his thanks to the other franchises he played for: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“Thank you for allowing me to continue my career with you,” Neal said in his caption. “All top notch organizations.”
Looking back at Falcons Pro Bowl DB's career
Neal became more known among Falcons fans.
Atlanta drafted him No. 17 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft out of Florida. “The Matrix” became the first safety taken in that draft class. Neal even went ahead of names like Derrick Henry, Yannick Ngakoue, even Tyreek Hill — all of whom fell out of the first round.
The 6-foot, 211-pound safety showed promise early. He collected 106 total tackles, 72 solo stops, forced five fumbles and delivered eight pass breakups his rookie season. That's also the season Neal helped guide Atlanta to its second-ever NFC crown, playing in Super Bowl LI that year. Neal led Atlanta with 13 tackles that night in Houston.
Neal ascended to newer heights in his sophomore NFL campaign. He lifted his total tackles to 116. He stuffed four ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage. Neal also grabbed more solo tackles (83) than his rookie season. Those efforts led to his first, and only, Pro Bowl appearance.
The safety unfortunately got hit with a massive setback in year three. Neal tore his ACL during Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles. He then got limited to just three games the following year — as he tore his left Achilles tendon against the Indianapolis Colts.
Neal managed to play in 15 games with 14 starts during 2020. He posted a career-best nine tackles for a loss that season while returning to the 100-tackle plateau. The native of Webster, Florida bounced around the league from there — playing for the Cowboys, Bucs and Steelers in that order. He was not on a 2024 roster after the Steelers released him over a failed physical in March.
Neal started in 69 total games and grabbed four interceptions. The hard-nosed safety became more known for playing downhill, finishing with 523 career tackles.
