Ryan Neuzil of the offensive line is extended by the Falcons for a year.
Ryan Neuzil, an exclusive rights free agent, will be paid the league minimum wage.
Ryan Neuzil, a guard/center, has impressed the Falcons sufficiently that they have guaranteed his return in 2024 based on his performance thus far.
Due to his contract expiring and having played in two or less seasons, Neuzil was an exclusive rights free agent (ERFA). Because the Falcons exercised their exclusive rights by offering him the league minimum qualifying offer, which keeps him with the team for one additional season, he was left with little influence over the situation.
After signing a futures contract in 2022 and returning to the practice squad, Neuzil was signed by the Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2021 and spent the entire season there (which does not count toward service time accrual). In Week 9, of that season, he was finally promoted onto the active roster.
After training camp in 2023, the former player for Appalachian State joined the active squad and played in all 17 games, starting four of them at center. Playing a total of 203 snaps last season and not surrendering a sack or QB hit, Neuzil was decent in his limited workload. His versatility as a guard and center, along with the fact offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford obviously enjoys having him around, should help him push for a roster place in 2024.
As an interior offensive lineman and member of special teams, he should therefore be favored to return to the team with the least amount of a cap hit. The “Neuz Flash” will be a restricted free agent the next summer, so if the Falcons are pleased with what they see in 2024, they will have even more leverage to keep him around for 2025.
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