Falcons: Keanu Neal feeling awesome heading into 2020

Keanu Neal is entering the final year of his rookie contract after the Falcons picked up his fifth-year option, which became guaranteed once he suffered a torn Achilles in Week 3. The once Pro-Bowl safety began his career on fire and looked to be a piece the Falcons would hold onto for a long time, but injuries have derailed him a bit, turning this season into a prove-it year for the former Florida Gator.

In 2018, it was a torn ACL in Week 1, and after months of intensive rehabbing, nobody was ready to get back on the field more than Neal. But not too long after his debut, he suffered a torn Achilles against the Colts, an injury in which you could visibly see the pain, sadness, and frustration on his face. But as he enters this pivotal year in his career, Neal told Good Morning Football that he is feeling awesome.

“By the grace of God, I feel awesome,” Neal said via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I’m ready to get back with the guys and get going.”

Of course, nobody knows how things are going to go with the football season. Just recently, Dr. Anthony Fauci commented on the possibility of a football season, saying it would be very difficult for there to be one without the teams being in some sort of bubble like the NBA is attempting in their reboot.

We will see how things shake out in the coming months, but a plan like that certainly isn’t feasible in the NFL where there are 75+ moving parts per organization. Regardless, Keanu Neal seems ready. The way he’s able to perform after back-to-back dreadful injuries will be one of the season’s storylines. If Neal can bounce back and return to form, the Falcons would be fools not to extend him. He stands for everything this organization is about — both on and off the field.