Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons

Keanu Neal agrees to join Quinn with Cowboys

Atlanta Falcons strong safety Keanu Neal (22) defends during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. The Atlanta Falcons are looking to have some injured players return to their depleted defense for Sunday's game against Carolina. The winless Falcons have lost five members of their secondary.(AP Photo/Brandon Wade, File)

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Atlanta Falcons strong safety Keanu Neal (22) defends during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. The Atlanta Falcons are looking to have some injured players return to their depleted defense for Sunday's game against Carolina. The winless Falcons have lost five members of their secondary.(AP Photo/Brandon Wade, File)
By
March 20, 2021

Former Falcons safety Keanu Neal is reuniting with former Falcons coach Dan Quinn in Dallas. He agreed to a one-year, $5 million deal with the Cowboys on Saturday.

The Falcons decided not to use their franchise tag on Neal, who was selected in the first round (17th overall) in 2016, he started 48 of 49 games played over the past five seasons.

Neal played last season under the fifth-year option, valued at $6.5 million. Near the end of the season, Neal cited his favorite memory being the Super Bowl run the Falcons went on during his rookie season.

Neal suffered a torn ACL in the 2018 season and an Achilles injury in 2019 that cut his time to four games over two seasons.

Neal started 14 of 15 games last season. The hard-hitting safety finished with 100 tackles, nine tackles for losses, three quarterback hits and one sack. The Cowboys plan to play Neal at safety and linebacker.

The Cowboys also are interested in signing former Falcons free safety Damontae Kazee.

About the Author

Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.

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