Atlanta Falcons safety Keanu Neal made the Pro Bowl in 2017 in his second year in the NFL, but he's barely seen the field in the two seasons since.
A knee injury limited him to one game in 2018, only for Neal to suffer a torn Achilles in Week 3 last season. As a result, he's spent much of his time in rehab rather than improving his game on the field.
Now, he's fully healthy and working off the rust in Falcons camp. It's a process, no doubt, but Neal is starting to make some encouraging progress.
“Recently, I kind of told myself that I’m starting to get my groove back,” Neal told D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “I’m starting to see things again. A play that I can be faster on. I saw that after the fact. Next time I get that, I can be there. It’s all coming back.”
Neal took the field on Thursday with the first-team defense in the Falcons’ first training camp scrimmage.
“I feel great,” Neal said. “I’m happy to be in this space. It’s been a lot of work. We’re back. It feels awesome. I’m glad to be around the guys. So, it’s an exciting time.”
In his rehab, the hard-hitting safety dropped 13 pounds (from 225 to 212) and is back to his rookie weight as he tries to replicate the production from his first two seasons in the league.
“I slimmed down for a reason just so that I can move better,” Neal said. “I’m moving around a lot better. I’m moving around like myself. So, I’m excited with where I’m at.”
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