Neal announced on Sunday that he is hanging up the cleats.
This past Sunday, veteran safety Keanu Neal officially announced his retirement from the NFL via his Instagram account, marking the end of a notable eight-season career.
Neal was a key player for several teams, but he of course began his journey with the Atlanta Falcons, who selected him with the 17th overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Throughout his career, Neal played in 89 games and made 69 starts for four different teams: the Falcons (2016-2020), Dallas Cowboys (2021), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2022), and Pittsburgh Steelers (2023). His time with the Falcons was particularly memorable, as he became known for his hard-hitting style and strong presence on the field as a tone setter at safety.
One of the highlights of his career came in 2017 when he made his only Pro Bowl appearance after racking up a career-high 116 tackles while starting all 16 games that season.
Neal did however face challenges during his time in Atlanta, suffering season-ending injuries in back-to-back years with an ACL injury in 2018 and an Achilles injury in 2019. Despite these setbacks, he continued to push forward. After spending five seasons with the Falcons, he signed with the Cowboys in 2021 and made a position change from safety to linebacker. However, he returned to his original position in the final two seasons of his career with the Buccaneers in 2022 and the Steelers in 2023.
He did not play in the NFL last season after being released by the Steelers in March. As he retires, Neal finishes his career with: 523 tackles, four interceptions, and eight forced fumbles.
We wish Keanu Neal well in his post-football life.