Atlanta Falcons helmet (Photo via Imagn Images)

Former Atlanta Falcons first-round pick Keanu Neal has announced his retirement from football after eight seasons in the NFL.

The safety, whose last team was the Pittsburgh Steelers, also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys. He signed with the Steelers ahead of the 2023 season, joining the team on a two-year deal and making 50 tackles and an interception in nine games before sustaining a rib injury.

The team released him after he failed a physical in March 2024, and he hasn’t played since.

The 29-year-old took to Instagram this Sunday to call curtains on his career.
“God has blessed my family and I in so many ways. Particularly in the game of football. 20 years ago, I started this journey. Today, I am retiring from the NFL,” he wrote. “Gods’ timing is always the right timing.”

Keanu Neal’s Career Wrecked By Injuries

Keanu Neal (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

Neal, a 17th-overall pick by Atlanta in 2016, started 14 games as a rookie and helped the team reach the Super Bowl, which they blew after going ahead 28-3 against the New England Patriots.

He was a Pro Bowler in 2017 after a season in which he registered 116 tackles but only played four games across 2018 and 2019 because of injury.

He signed a one-year deal with the Cowboys after playing the 2020 season with the Falcons. He recorded 72 tackles in 14 games for Dallas before joining the Buccaneers, for whom he made 63 tackles and broke up four passes in 17 games in 2022.

We wish him the very best in retirement.