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Atlanta Falcons News & Rumors

S Keanu Neal Retires

February 23rd, 2025 at 4:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

Keanu Neal did not play in 2024, and he will not make a return next season. The veteran safety announced his retirement on Sunday.

“20 years ago, I started this journey,” Neal’s announcement reads in part. “Today, I am retiring from the NFL… I am incredibly grateful for the coaches and teammates I had the privilege of working with along the way… All the lessons learned through the game has helped mold me into who I am today.”

A first-round pick of the Falcons in 2016, Neal entered the league with high expectations. He had a strong start to his Atlanta tenure, recording 100-plus tackles in each of his first two seasons and earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2017. Neal’s first playoff run saw him make 30 tackles en route to a Super Bowl appearance.

Across the 2018 and ’19 campaigns, however, the Florida product played a combined total of only four games. Neal returned to full health during his final Falcons campaign, but he was unable to land a notable commitment from any suitor during his free agent spells. A one-year Cowboys contract (which saw him spend time at middle linebacker) was followed by a return to the NFC South in 2022 with Tampa Bay.

After serving as a part-time Buccaneers starter, Neal inked a two-year free agent pact with the Steelers. Early in his Pittsburgh tenure, he served as a key member of the secondary with eight starts, 50 tackles and an interception. A ribs injury ended Neal’s campaign, though, and he was released last March. After failing to land a deal on the open market in 2024, he will turn his attention to his post-playing days.

In all, the 29-year-old made 94 combined regular and postseason appearances during his time in the NFL, starting 74 of them. Thanks in large part to the size of his rookie pact, Neal amassed roughly $25.5MM in career earnings.

Justin Simmons Wants To Stay With Falcons

February 20th, 2025 at 9:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Falcons teamed two of this era’s best safeties last season, signing Justin Simmons to join Jessie Bates. Simmons stayed in free agency for months awaiting the right deal, but the former Broncos All-Pro is headed back to the market soon.

Having agreed to a one-year contract worth $7.5MM, Simmons did better than most of the safeties who became cap casualties last year. The longtime Bronco’s hopes of snapping his playoff drought did not come to fruition, however, with the Falcons missing out. Still, the 31-year-old defender is interested in sticking around under a new defensive staff.

Raheem Morris remains, of course, but the second-year Falcons HC fired DC Jimmy Lake after one season and replaced him with Jets interim leader Jeff Ulbrich. Despite the changes, Simmons wants to stay in Atlanta, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter.

As Bates continued to justify the four-year, $64MM deal he signed in 2023, Simmons joined him as a starter. The nine-year veteran logged 16 starts for Atlanta. Pro Football Focus did not view the four-time All-Pro’s work favorably under Morris and Lake, slotting him 68th among safety regulars last season. Simmons still intercepted two passes to run his career count to 32. Since Simmons’ 2016 rookie year, that total leads the NFL.

Needing to create cap space while facing the record-smashing Russell Wilson dead money bill, the Broncos released Simmons last March. They brought in ex-Dolphin Brandon Jones, who played well on a three-year, $20MM deal. This lower-cost formula, with the aid of Patrick Surtain‘s Defensive Player of the Year season, helped produce a playoff berth. Simmons could certainly pursue a team in better position compared to the Falcons on the market, but his days of commanding big-ticket deals are over. The Broncos moved the twice-franchise-tagged safety’s four-year, $61MM contract off their books, and the ballhawk’s 2024 Falcons season probably did not vault him close to that contractual stratosphere.

With a substantial Kirk Cousins dead money hit imminent, the Falcons are not in good cap shape. They are projected to be more than $4MM over the 2025 salary ceiling, even after the Wednesday news of its roughly $280MM landing spot. A cost-conscious free agency appears likely in Atlanta, so it will be interesting to see if Simmons is linked to another team soon. The Falcons, who also have late-summer acquisition Matt Judon due for free agency, have until March 10 to negotiate exclusively with their 2024 safety addition.

Drew Dalman Wants To Re-Sign With Falcons

February 16th, 2025 at 4:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

For the past three seasons, Drew Dalman has operated as the Falcons’ starting center. His rookie contract is set to expire in March, however, leaving a free agent departure as a possibility.

If Dalman has his way, he will remain with the team for 2025 and beyond. The 26-year-old hopes to re-sign, as noted by D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. Working out a new deal will be expensive for the Falcons given Dalman’s level of play once he ascended to the top of the depth chart.

After logging only 68 offensive snaps during his rookie season, the former fourth-rounder took over as Atlanta’s center starter. Dalman played a full season in 2022, drawing a 65.9 PFF grade. That figure was good for 14th amongst qualifying players at the position, but the past two seasons have seen stronger performances. The Stanford product ranked third in PFF grade at the center spot in 2023, and he followed that up with the fourth-best mark this past campaign.

Dalman did so while missing three games in 2023, and an ankle injury limited him to just nine contests this year. That could hinder his value on the open market, but on the other hand his age and contributions to a strong Falcons O-line could make him one of the more attractive options on the market this spring. Atlanta is among the teams currently projected to be over the cap for 2025, and a decision on quarterback Kirk Cousins will need to be made shortly. How the Falcons proceed on that front will of course be central in determining their overall financial outlook and their ability to approach the top of a center market which includes four players earning at least $12MM per year.

Atlanta’s other offensive line starters (left tackle Jake Matthews, left guard Matthew Bergeron, right guard Chris Lindstrom and right tackle Kaleb McGary) are all under contract through at least 2025. While Matthews and McGary do not have any guaranteed salary remaining on their pacts, the Falcons could thus opt for another year of continuity up front at four positions even in the event Dalman were to depart. Ryan Neuzil stepped in for Dalman in 2024, but he is a pending restricted free agent.

A number of veteran centers are on track to reach the open market this year, but Dalman’s age (like that of the Packers’ Josh Myers) could make suitors willing to prepare a long-term investment in March. It will be interesting to see if the Falcons prevent that from happening with a contract agreement being reached before then, or if they will turn their attention to other positions.

2025 NFL Cap Space, By Team

February 15th, 2025 at 9:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

Free agency is roughly one month away, and teams are preparing for the first major roster-building checkpoint on the offseason calendar. In several cases, of course, the lead-in to the start of the new league year will require cost-cutting measures.

Teams expect the 2025 cap ceiling to check in somewhere between $265MM and $275MM, providing a general target to aim for before the final figure is unveiled by the NFL. Using a projected cap of $272.5MM, here is a look at where all 32 teams currently stand (courtesy of Over the Cap):

  1. New England Patriots: $119.8MM
  2. Las Vegas Raiders: $92.53MM
  3. Washington Commanders: $75.21MM
  4. Arizona Cardinals: $71.33MM
  5. Los Angeles Chargers: $63.41MM
  6. Chicago Bears: $62.97MM
  7. Minnesota Vikings: $58.01MM
  8. Pittsburgh Steelers: $53.26MM
  9. Cincinnati Bengals: $46.26MM
  10. Detroit Lions: $45.69MM
  11. San Francisco 49ers: $44.26MM
  12. Tennessee Titans: $44.08MM
  13. New York Giants: $43.38MM
  14. Green Bay Packers: $42.14MM
  15. Los Angeles Rams: $38.33MM
  16. Denver Broncos: $34.78MM
  17. Jacksonville Jaguars: $32.27MM
  18. Indianapolis Colts: $28.25MM
  19. Carolina Panthers: $20.33MM
  20. Philadelphia Eagles: $18.08MM
  21. New York Jets: $16.86MM
  22. Baltimore Ravens: $5.96MM
  23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $2.24MM
  24. Houston Texans: $99K over the cap
  25. Kansas City Chiefs: $916K over
  26. Dallas Cowboys: $2.85MM over
  27. Miami Dolphins: $5.44MM over
  28. Atlanta Falcons: $11.15MM over
  29. Seattle Seahawks: $13.46MM over
  30. Buffalo Bills: $14.18MM over
  31. Cleveland Browns: $30.17MM over
  32. New Orleans Saints: $54.11MM over

These figures will of course change based on where the final cap ceiling winds up for the year, but they take into account each team’s carryover amount for 2025. Even with those savings in play, more than one quarter of the league finds itself in need of cost-shedding moves to simply achieve cap compliance by mid-March.

With the Patriots leading the way in terms of spending power, they will be a team to watch closely once free agency begins. The team’s willingness (or lack thereof) to make major free agent additions last year was a talking point, and it will be interesting to see if the regime featuring de facto general manager Eliot Wolf and new head coach Mike Vrabel takes a different approach in 2025. A serious push for Tee Higgins – by far the most sought-after wideout set to hit the market – can be expected.

Aside from Higgins, the Bengals have a number of financial priorities. Working out a monster extension for fellow receiver Ja’Marr Chase and a new deal (and accompanying raise) for edge rusher Trey Hendrickson are key goals for the franchise. Quarterback Joe Burrow is prepared to restructure his own pact to create cap space for this offseason, but the team will no doubt need to break with tradition in terms of contract structure and guarantees to keep its core intact.

The Colts’ offseason has been defined in large part by a focus on retaining in-house players during recent years. That approach has not paid off as hoped, and general manager Chris Ballard said last month he plans to oversee a shift in roster-building philosophy this year. With the finances to make at least a modest addition or two on the open market, Indianapolis could be a suitor for some of the middle-class free agent options.

Over the coming weeks, many teams will proceed with extensions and restructures to free up cap space; the Seahawks recently took the latter route with defensive lineman Leonard Williams. Teams like the Steelers (in the case of edge rusher Preston Smith) and Dolphins (with running back Raheem Mostert as well as corner Kendall Fuller and tight end Durham Smythe) have already begin cutting veterans to free up cap space. That will increasingly continue in the near future with respect to the teams currently slated to be over the cap in particular.

Falcons’ Kevin Koger Denies OC Interview Request From Saints

February 15th, 2025 at 11:56am CST by Ben Levine

Kellen Moore is starting to fill out his Saints staff, but the process may not be as smooth as the new head coach was hoping for. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Falcons tight ends coach Kevin Koger has denied a request from the Saints to interview for their offensive coordinator job.

[RELATED: Saints Name Kellen Moore As HC]

After working his way up through the college coaching ranks, Koger got his first NFL gig when he was named as the Packers offensive quality control coach in 2019. He joined the Chargers as their tight ends coach in 2021, with Gerald Everett having his best career seasons under Koger’s tutelage.

After the Chargers cleaned house last offseason, Koger joined the Falcons coaching staff, where he was tasked with getting the most from Kyle Pitts. The tight end still failed to live up to his first-round billing, finishing with 47 catches for 602 yards. Still, his 63.5 catch percentage represented a career-high.

While Koger’s list of accomplishments may not feature big names nor performance, he’s still earned a reputation as a bright offensive mind. Just this offseason, the coach interviewed for the Browns and Cowboys OC jobs.

Considering Moore wasn’t officially hired until after the Super Bowl, the Saints missed out on most of the top coordinator candidates. While Koger’s denial may not be indicative of other candidates’ sentiments about the New Orleans gig, Moore and the Saints may have to overcome a few hurdles as they look to piece together the coaching staff.

Koger is the first definitive candidate for the job in New Orleans. A pair of Eagles coaches have naturally been connected to their former boss, with QBs coach Doug Nussmeier and pass-game coordinator Kevin Patullo mentioned as candidates for the job.

NFC Coaching Notes: Haslett, Saints, Cowboys, Choice, Lions, Giants, Falcons

February 13th, 2025 at 8:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

No Saints–Mike McCarthy reunion is on tap, but the team will go forward with an interesting hire that will bring about a reunion of sorts from that era. The team is hiring Chase Haslett as tight ends coach, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. Chase Haslett is the son of ex-Saints HC Jim Haslett, who coached the team from 2000-05. Jim Haslett was steering the ship when the Saints won their first playoff game, a wild-card thriller over the Rams in 2000. The Saints gave Jim Haslett his only NFL HC job; they will give his son his first position-coaching role. Mickey Loomis became Saints GM during Jim’s HC tenure and led the search to name Moore as HC this year.

Chase will come over after three Cowboys seasons, the last of which overlapping with new Saints HC Kellen Moore. Chase assisted with Cowboys TEs, helping Dalton Schultz to a productive 2022 before aiding in Jake Ferguson‘s development.

Here is the latest from the NFC coaching ranks:

  • Elsewhere on the Saints’ staff, they are also bringing back a familiar face to oversee the offensive line. Brendan Nugent is coming back to head up this group, per NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill and Mike Triplett. Nugent coached the Saints’ O-line from 2015-21; he will replace John Benton, who is following Klint Kubiak to Seattle. Nugent comes over from Seattle, having been the Seahawks’ assistant OL coach last season. He was the Saints’ assistant OL coach from 2015-20 and their O-line boss in 2021. This hire will bring about familiarity for Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz, who were in place when Nugent was last with New Orleans. More familiarity will be in place at wide receiver, with Underhill adding Keith Williams is staying on as WRs coach. The Saints had hired Williams in 2024.
  • Tashard Choice recently interviewed for the Cowboys’ RBs coach position, but the ex-Dallas running back is heading to Detroit. The Lions are hiring Choice as their backfield coach, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz tweets. Texas is believed to have offered a significant raise to keep Choice in Austin, but he will join Dan Campbell‘s staff. Choice coached Jahmyr Gibbs at Georgia Tech. The Lions are moving previous RBs coach Scottie Montgomery to wide receivers coach, per the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett. A former NFL wideout, Montgomery has not coached the position in the NFL since overseeing the likes of Antonio Brown, Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders in Pittsburgh from 2010-12. The former college HC, who will replace Antwaan Randle El (now the Bears’ WRs coach), is also now an assistant head coach in Detroit.
  • The Lions are also hiring Tyler Roehl to coach tight ends, Rogers adds. Previously reported (via Zenitz) to be coming to Detroit as an offensive assistant, Roehl is making the jump after one season as Iowa State’s RBs coach. He is better known for work at Division I-FCS power North Dakota State. Roehl was with the Bison from 2014-23, finishing his tenure with five seasons as OC. This included mentorship during Trey Lance‘s 28-TD, zero-INT 2019 season, one of the program’s many national titles.
  • T.J. Yates is heading into his second season as Falcons QBs coach; the former NFL signal-caller will also serve as Atlanta’s pass-game coordinator in 2025, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes. After the Falcons attempted to make the Kirk Cousins–Michael Penix Jr. setup work, Yates will be tasked with developing Penix (after a Cousins release) in 2025.
  • Brian Daboll‘s son will not be part of his father’s 2025 Giants staff. Christian Daboll is leaving to pursue another career path, the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard tweets. Brian hired his son out of college; Christian was part of the past two New York staffs, working as an offensive assistant.
  • UTEP defensive coordinator JJ Clark is joining the Cowboys in a quality control role, Zenitz tweets. Clark coached the Miners’ defense for one season, coming over from Austin Peay in 2024. UTEP ranked 113th in Division I-FBS defensively last season.

NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 2/12/25

February 12th, 2025 at 6:38pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s reserve/futures deals:

Atlanta Falcons

  • OT Kilian Zierer

Kansas City Chiefs

Anthony Firkser brings 78 games of NFL experience. His best run came with the Titans, including a two-year stretch between 2020 and 2021 when he hauled in 73 catches. After starting the 2024 season with the Jets, Firkser spent most of the second half on the Chiefs practice squad.

Falcons QB Kirk Cousins Addresses Health Status, 2025 Outlook

February 10th, 2025 at 2:28pm CST by Adam La Rose

FEBRUARY 10: Cousins and the Falcons have not been in communication since the season ended, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report. The team could ask Cousins to waive his no-trade clause if a parting ways were to be preferred, although the Michigan State product could request to be released and thus find his next team via free agency. A decision will need to be made by mid-March, and the report notes Atlanta may use most of the time between now and then to make a commitment one way or the other.

FEBRUARY 4: Kirk Cousins came to Atlanta amidst considerable fanfare and expectation last offseason, but his tenure is likely to come to an end soon. The Pro Bowl quarterback faces the prospect of being released by the Falcons shortly, something he addressed along with his health situation.

During an appearance on Good Morning Football: Overtime, Cousins spoke about his uncertain future (video link). The 36-year-old was benched in favor of first-round rookie Michael Penix Jr. late in the year, and the latter is in position to remain atop the depth chart moving forward. As a result, it was reported in December the Falcons are expected to release Cousins this offseason.

“I definitely feel like I have a lot of good football left in me,” the former Viking said when asked about his outlook for 2025 and beyond. “It’s still kind of uncertain. We’ll get to March and know a lot more. But I think the focus for me really is getting healthy. That’s really my focus is I gotta get healthy.”

On that point, Cousins detailed that his Achilles – which ruptured midway through the 2023 campaign – healed well and did not cause a major problem during his debut Falcons season. After a Week 10 hit which injured his right shoulder and elbow, however, he said his efforts to work through the ailment played a role in his regression. Cousins’ last stretch of starts before being benched saw his production drop off considerably with turnovers becoming an issue.

While a release would be understandable given Penix’s presence for the long term, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot indicated last month the team would be willing to keep Cousins in the fold as a (rather expensive) backup. The latter’s $27.5MM base salary for next season is guaranteed in full, and a $10MM roster bonus for 2026 will vest early in the new league year if he remains in Atlanta. Given the compensation he is owed, a trade allowing Cousins a fresh start would come as a surprise.

For now, it remains to be seen how Atlanta will proceed on the Cousins front. Even if he finds himself a free agent once again in the near future, though, retirement will not be considered based on his comments.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

February 10th, 2025 at 8:58am CST by Adam La Rose

With Super Bowl LIX in the books, the 2024 campaign has come to a close. The final first-round order for April’s draft is now set as a result.

All 32 teams currently own a Day 1 selection, leaving the door open to each one adding a prospect in the first round for the first time since expansion in 2002. Any number of trades will no doubt take place between now and the draft, though, and it will be interesting to see how teams maneuver in the lead-in to the event. Of course, Tennessee in particular will be worth watching closely with a move to sell off the No. 1 pick being seen as a distinct possibility.

A weak quarterback class will leave teams like the Titans, Browns, Giants and Raiders with plenty of key offseason decisions. The free agent and trade markets do not offer many short-term alternatives which are seen as surefire additions, and teams which do not make moves in March will rely on the incoming group of rookies as part of their efforts to find a long-term solution under center. The two prospects seen as the clear-cut top options in 2025, however, are two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter and Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2024 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. Playoff squads are slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular season record.

Here is a final look at the first-round order:

  1. Tennessee Titans (3-14)
  2. Cleveland Browns (3-14)
  3. New York Giants (3-14)
  4. New England Patriots (4-13)
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)
  6. Las Vegas Raiders (4-13)
  7. New York Jets (5-12)
  8. Carolina Panthers (5-12)
  9. New Orleans Saints (5-12)
  10. Chicago Bears (5-12)
  11. San Francisco 49ers (6-11)
  12. Dallas Cowboys (7-10)
  13. Miami Dolphins (8-9)
  14. Indianapolis Colts (8-9)
  15. Atlanta Falcons (8-9)
  16. Arizona Cardinals (8-9)
  17. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
  20. Denver Broncos (10-7)
  21. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
  22. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
  23. Green Bay Packers (11-6)
  24. Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
  25. Houston Texans (10-7)
  26. Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
  27. Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
  28. Detroit Lions (15-2)
  29. Washington Commanders (12-5)
  30. Buffalo Bills (13-4)
  31. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)
  32. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/28/25

January 28th, 2025 at 6:44pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s reserve/futures contracts:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Washington Commanders

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