It means the team can match any offer Neuzil receives, which they almost certainly will.
Those of us bracing for Drew Dalman’s possible departure thought Ryan Neuzil was a logical candidate to, at the very least, compete to replace him. That appears to be the plan for the Atlanta Falcons.
Per Tori McElhaney with the Falcons, the team has placed a right of first refusal tender on Neuzil. That means they have the right to match any contract offer he receives, which by itself is likely to scare off all but Neuzil’s most ardent suitors.
For those keeping up with the Falcons center position, Ryan Neuzil received a right of first refusal tender. Essentially meaning the Falcons can retain Neuzil if they match any offer from another team.
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) March 12, 2025
Neuzil was an undrafted free agent at guard who the Falcons and offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford obviously liked, and after they cross-trained him at center, he had an opportunity to get playing time at multiple positions. That really paid off last year, when Neuzil replaced an injured Drew Dalman and wound up drawing eight starts. Solid in both run blocking and pass protection—though Dalman is obviously better at the former, he’s not that obviously better at the latter—Neuzil was not a standout but was a fine starting option for more or less that entire run.
The Falcons won’t just hand Neuzil the starting center job, but he should get a chance to compete barring a big free agent signing in the coming days, and it’s possible his only real competition will be former seventh round pick Jovaughn Gwyn. If the team feels comfortable with Neuzil’s progression and the talent around him making up for any hiccups, the opportunity to have an affordable, in-house starter at center will likely be quite appealing. At worst, Neuzil is excellent depth who can credibly fill in at guard and center, which is valuable on its own; it would be nice to see the Falcons at least explore the center market to ensure they have competition and/or experienced depth.
We’ll see if something wild happens and a team makes Neuzil an offer the Falcons decide not to match, but my expectation is that he’ll return and compete for the starting center job in 2025. The fact that he’s gone from undrafted guard to presumptive starter at center in the span of a few seasons with the Falcons is a testament both to Ledford’s work and Neuzil’s ability, so I’m glad he’s back.