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Keanu Neal returns an interception.
Safety Keanu Neal wasted no time getting in the good graces of fans after putting pen to paper and joining the Pittsburgh Steelers. Smiling from ear to ear, he recorded a video directed at his new fanbase.
“What’s going on Steelers Nation? It’s Keanu Neal here. Just signed and ready to go. I mean, bring that physicality, bring that presence. I’m ready to get after it. Here we go!”
Things came together quickly for Neal and the Steelers. Sometimes it’s a build-up — we hear rumblings of a certain player meeting with the team or rumors of interest. That wasn’t the case with Neal, so it came as a surprise to many when, on March 30, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette broke the news that the Steelers were close to a deal with the veteran safety.
Apparently, they were extremely close because it was only two hours later when agent David Canter confirmed via Twitter that his client had agreed to terms with the Steelers. The deal, a two-year contract worth $4.2 million (per 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov), was officially sealed five days later on April 4.
Keanu Neal’s Pre-Steelers Career
Seeing that former first-round safety
Terrell Edmunds had signed with the
Philadelphia Eagles the week prior, many presumed Keanu Neal, 27, was brought in to replace him. But as of right now, that’s not the case. Although it’s way too early to say exactly how he’ll fit in the Pittsburgh Steelers, many in the know say it won’t be as Edmunds’ successor.
Damontae Kazee is currently slotted in that role and the 2023 NFL draft could certainly see the Steelers select a starting-caliber safety.
Drafted 17th overall by the Atlanta Falcons, injuries limited Neal to just four games after his sophomore Pro Bowl season, tearing an ACL and then an Achilles’ tendon in
back-to-back seasons. But he saw a bit of a resurgence in 2020 registering 100 tackles with one interception and a sack. In 49 games in Atlanta, he contributed two interceptions, 16 pass breakups, eight forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, 1.0 sacks, 338 tackles (15 for loss) and four quarterback hits.
In 2021, his former Falcons head coach
Dan Quinn brought him over for one season to play linebacker for the
Dallas Cowboys. He reverted to safety during his single season with the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he logged four pass breakups, an interception, 0.5 sacks and 63 tackles in 17 games (eight starts).
Side note: Neal was defending
Chase Claypool when he scored his final touchdown as a Steeler in Pittsburgh’s October 16 win over the Bucs.
What Steelers Fans Can Expect from Keanu Neal
“Coming into Tampa Bay, he was expected to be a depth piece, a backup safety behind your more traditional strong safety Mike Edwards on the Buccaneers roster,” Harrison said.
Injuries (elbow, hamstring) limited Edwards to 13 games, forcing Neal into a bigger role than initially expected. “While he didn’t necessarily blow the roof off of Raymond James Stadium, he was a very steady, very solid, very aggressive presence on the field when he was there. More importantly, he was a very professional part of the locker room and part of the defense, even with some of the struggles that the team was going through.”
Harrison sees Neal serving in a similar role in Pittsburgh.
“I think with Pittsburgh what you’re looking at is a team player contributor who’s going to be more of a depth guy,” he said. “I would not necessarily expect him to challenge for a starting role necessarily but, certainly, a guy who could earn some playing time in certain packages or if you have some struggles with injuries in the secondary.”
If Neal has to start in a pinch, Harrison said the Steelers should feel confident in his talents. “He’s a guy that can come in and you’re not going to feel like the world is falling in around you. Having him in your starting lineup, play him in the box, play him as that traditional strong safety. Don’t make him a linebacker like the Dallas Cowboys, keep him in a safety role but let him be an aggressive box safety like he does well.”
“Great dude, great guy. If you’re looking for a Steelers kind of guy, you got one in Keanu Neal and he can contribute if you need him to.”
Allison Koehler is a veteran sports journalist covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks. A Heavy contributor since 2021, her bylines also include USA Today, XFL.com, The Sideline Hustle and Bucs Report. More about Allison Koehler
