Falcons not expected to use franchise tag on Keanu Neal
The NFL’s franchise tag deadline is today at 4:00 p.m. ET, but the Falcons aren’t likely to use theirs on free-agent safety Keanu Neal. According to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the team will let its former first-round pick hit the open market.
Since the team is roughly $20 million over the projected 2021 salary cap, tagging Neal wasn’t a realistic option for Atlanta. The franchise tag for a safety is about $10.5 million, and as good as Neal has been, the Falcons can’t afford to spend that much on a single player.
Atlanta already released Neal’s backfield mate, Ricardo Allen, and the team is not expected to re-sign safety Damontae Kazee. After a promising start to his career as the No. 17 pick in the 2016 NFL draft, Neal suffered back-to-back season-ending injuries in 2018 and 2019.
Neal returned in 2020 and was able to stay healthy for the full season. He finished the year with 100 tackles (76 solo), nine tackles for a loss, one interception and one forced fumble.
