Keep calm and carry on in regards to Neuzil’s status with the Falcons.
Ryan Neuzil, the presumptive starting center for the Atlanta Falcons this year is currently not under contract. This appears to be prompting anxiety amongst some within the fanbase.
Neuzil was one of 13 restricted free agents (RFAs) tendered by NFL teams this offseason, but remains the only one that has yet to sign his contract. However, there should be little concern. There has been a trend in recent years where one or two RFAs like Neuzil wait until well after the NFL Draft to sign their deals.
In March, the Falcons tendered him at the lowest level, the right of first refusal. When Neuzil signs his name on the dotted line, he’ll earn $3.263 million on a one-year contract this year. But because he has yet to sign, technically, Neuzil does not currently count towards the team’s 91-man roster limit and is not counting towards the team’s current salary cap.
Don’t worry. Neuzil isn’t going anywhere. The deadline for RFAs to sign with new teams passed on April 18. In each of the past three offseasons, at least one RFA has waited until after the draft to sign a deal.
Perhaps Neuzil is looking for a long-term deal
The exact motive behind Neuzil’s decision to wait is unknown. However, in those other examples, it has been due to players hoping for a multi-year deal instead of the standard one-year RFA tender. Due to rules limiting RFAs’ abilities to change teams, unlike unrestricted free agents, one of their few points of leverage is to “hold out” by not signing their tenders during the voluntary portion of the offseason.
This strategy seemingly worked for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings last offseason. He was tendered at the second-round level and slated to earn $4.89 million last year. But he instead signed a two-year deal at the end of May worth over $15 million with $10.5 million guaranteed, a substantial pay raise from the restricted tender.
Perhaps Neuzil is hoping for something similar from the Falcons, with a deal that goes beyond the 2025 season. It would make sense given that we know many NFL players value long-term stability. However, considering the massive payday Neuzil’s predecessor, Drew Dalman, got this offseason from the Chicago Bears, it would behoove him to hit the market as an unrestricted free agent next March after playing out his one-year tender.
Several RFAs have waited until June to re-sign
Other examples of RFAs that waited in recent offseasons didn’t result in long-term deals and those players simply played out their one-year tender while waiting until June to show up.
In 2023, defensive tackle Teair Tart skipped the Tennessee Titans’ offseason before signing his tender in mid-June just before mandatory workouts. It was known that Tart hoped to get a multi-year deal coming off a productive 2022 season.
In 2022, former Cleveland Browns running back D’Ernest Johnson got creative by signing an incentive-laden deal in early June instead of signing his RFA tender. If he hit all the incentives, the total would have been the same as his $2.43 million tender, but loading the contract with incentives ultimately saved the Browns‘ cap space.
That same offseason, former New England Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Meyers and Green Bay Packers wideout Allen Lazard both opted to skip mandatory workouts as restricted free agents in the hopes of getting a long-term deal. Meyers ultimately signed his one-year tender the week after the Patriots’ mandatory minicamp. Lazard did the same.
The Falcons don’t really need Neuzil to show up yet
The Falcons’ mandatory minicamp doesn’t begin until June 10. Neuzil will likely sign before then, but it’s also possible he could skip it and won’t be subject to fines because he’s technically not under contract. However, that would seem unlikely. The Falcons financially benefit somewhat from Neuzil’s current decision to stay away. They save a little north of $2 million against their salary because he remains unsigned due to the Top 51 rule.
Certainly, the Falcons would benefit from Neuzil’s presence during the entire offseason, given the importance of the center position as the anchor spot on the offensive line, coupled with the fact that the Falcons are breaking in a brand-new quarterback.
Yet, Neuzil took all those second-team reps with Michael Penix under center last offseason and training camp while Dalman worked with then-starter Kirk Cousins with the first team. Plus, building continuity is much less of a concern because Neuzil has been a Falcon since 2021 with 12 starts under his belt over the past two years, with the same four starters at the other spots.
If a month from now, mandatory minicamp passes, and Neuzil remains unsigned, that will prompt more concern. But until then, relax.