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Keanu Neal announces retirement from NFL

Wade-Peeryby:Wade Peery•02/23/25
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Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Former first-round draft pick and Pro Bowler Keanu Neal has officially decided to step away from the game of football for good. He hung up his cleats on Sunday evening, making the announcement on his own Instagram page.

“God has blessed my family and I in so many ways. Particularly in the game of football. 20 years ago, I started this journey. Today, I am retiring from the NFL. Gods’ timing is always the right timing,” Neal wrote on his Instagram page.

Wanna give a big thank you to the Atlanta Falcons for drafting and giving me a chance to make an impact. To the Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Bucs, and Pittsburgh Steelers…Thank you for allowing me to continue my career with you. All top-notch organizations. I am incredibly grateful for the coaches and teammates I had the privilege of working with along the way. Sumter County, South Sumter High, Wolfpack, University of Florida, my family and friends…THANK YOU! All the lessons learned through the game has helped mold me into who I am today,” Neal finished.

He wrapped up his career with 523 tackles, four interceptions, and eight forced fumbles. Neal didn’t play in the NFL last season after being released by the Steelers last March. His best season was in 2017, when he made the only Pro Bowl appearance of his career after he set a career high with 116 tackles and started 16 games.

He played his college football with the Florida Gators in Gainesville.

As a junior in 2015 for the Florida Gators, he started 11 of 12 games. Neal finished with 96 tackles, 51 solo tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, one interception, and two sacks. He had 14 tackles against Tennessee and LSU. As a sophomore, he played in 10 games with eight starts at the safety position. As a high school prospect, Neal was rated as a four-star prospect and the No. 85 overall player in America, according to the On3 Industry Rankings for the 2016 cycle.