Keanu Neal has taken a big step in the right direction on his recovery. The Atlanta Falcons safety tore his ACL last season, and we haven't heard much on his progress, until now.
Atlanta's defensive passing game coordinator Jerome Henderson spoke to the media recently, and revealed that Neal had participated in “walk-throughs for the first time during OTAs,” per Matt Tabeek of the team's official site. Nine months removed from his injury, it seems Neal is progressing nicely so far.
Neal was supposed to be a huge part of the Falcons' defense last year, but he went down in the first game. He initially returned to the game, but crumpled again shortly after. He was one of many devastating injuries that the Falcons suffered on defense last year, and his absence was a major contributor to the Falcons' struggles.
This is a crucial year for the Falcons, so they need Neal back at full strength. In his last full season in 2017, he made the Pro Bowl. Dan Quinn is officially on the hot seat heading into 2019, and probably needs to make the playoffs to save his job.
He fired both his offensive and defensive coordinators after last season, so Atlanta is going to look a lot different. Henderson is happy to have him back, saying “any time you get a player of that caliber back … it helps. You feel his grown man-ness on the field.”
‘Grown man-ness' is an interesting new term, but it might be just right here. Neal is a true leader, and the team is showing a ton of confidence in him. Even coming off an ACL tear, the team recently picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract. He should be due for a big 2019 if he can stay healthy.
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