INDIANAPOLIS — Former Falcons safety Keanu Neal, who was taken in the first round (17th overall) of the 2016 draft, announced his retirement on social media Sunday.
“God has blessed my family and I in so many ways,” Neal wrote in a post on Instagram. “Particularly in the game of football. (Twenty) years ago, I started this journey. Today, I am retiring from the NFL.”
Neal, a one-time Pro Bowler, did not re-sign after five seasons and was allowed to become an unrestricted free agent. He started 48 of 49 games played during his time with the Falcons.
“(Want to) give a big thank you to the Atlanta Falcons for drafting and giving me a chance to make an impact,” Neal wrote. “To the Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Bucs and Pittsburgh Steelers, thank you for allowing me to continue my career with you.”
Neal was well-respected for his three 100-plus tackle seasons with the Falcons, and he helped Dan Quinn implement his defensive principles with the Cowboys in 2021.
“World War I (para troopers... and when I get there...I will arrive violently!!!!,” Quinn wrote in a text to The Atlanta Journal Constitution on Monday. “Keke embodies all of the toughness that I love about football combined with the energy and love of a great teammate. He is a rare competitor. Love the guy!!!!”
Near the end of the 2019 season, Neal cited his favorite memory being the Super Bowl run the Falcons went on during his rookie season. Neal played his last season with the team under the fifth-year option, which was valued at $6.5 million in 2020.
Neal suffered a torn ACL in the 2018 season and an Achilles injury in 2019 that cut his time to four games over those two seasons.
The hard-hitting safety finished with 100 tackles, nine tackles for losses, three quarterback hits and one sack in his final season with the team in 2020.
Neal went on to play with the Cowboys (2021), Buccaneers (2022) and Steelers (2023). He played in 40 more games and made 21 starts.
He did not play last season.
Neal was a part of the group of nine first- or second-year starters on the Super Bowl 51 defense in 2016. The Falcons planned for that group, which included Neal, free safety Ricardo Allen, linebacker Deion Jones, defensive end Vic Beasley, cornerback Jalen Collins and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, to continue to develop into a defensive force.
As injuries started to mount, Beasley lost his passion for the game and the defense deteriorated over time and cost Quinn his job five games into the 2020 season.
Neal went to the Pro Bowl after the 2017 season.
Neal will be remembered in Falcons’ lore for his many big hits and for a would-be interception he dropped in the divisional round against the Eagles that would have prevented a field goal right before halftime in the 2017 playoffs.
The Falcons would go on to lose the game and haven’t been back to the playoffs since.
“Young, fast, physical; that’s the motto,” Neal told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution over the 2017 offseason. “I love growing with these guys. We’re building relationships and chemistry that can’t be broken....Guys I came in with and now we’re growing together, so it’s awesome.”
The development on defense did not come along according to plan.
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