'Happy to be Here': Inside Falcons Center Ryan Neuzil's Road to New Contract

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- As he stood on the outskirts of the Atlanta Falcons' practice field Monday in Flowery Branch, Ryan Neuzil's jersey and helmet were off, but his smile was on -- and nearly as big as his newly expanded bank account.

Neuzil had just finished the Falcons' fourth OTA practice this summer and his second since signing a two-year, $9.5 million contract May 28. Now nicely paid and cemented as Atlanta's starting center, the former undrafted free agent has many reasons to grin.

"It was really nice," Neuzil said. "To finally get it done, it was definitely a nice thing."

Neuzil has been present and participative throughout Atlanta's offseason program despite spending much of it without a formal contract. The Falcons placed a right-of-first-refusal tag on Neuzil, an unrestricted free agent, this spring, enabling them to match any offers made by additional teams.

But nearly two and a half months after free agency opened in March, Neuzil remained unsigned -- but largely unaffected.

"I mean, it was all definitely new to me," Neuzil told Atlanta Falcons on SI. "Still was able to be in the building, get around the guys, still do OTAs and everything. So that was definitely a plus. It was just ongoing conversations and happy to just be here."

Neuzil, who's represented by agents Drew Rosenhaus and Kyle Lincoln, sought an additional year in his contract. The right-of-first-refusal tag is a one-year, $3.26 million deal. After a lengthy negotiation process, Neuzil not only secured more length but also a higher average annual value -- he's earning $4.75 million per year -- and $6.25 million guaranteed.

"It's definitely nice," Neuzil said of his contract. "Got stuck with the tender at first, and we were able to get some discussions going and add an extra year into the deal. Being able to stay here, like I said, it's been real nice and a blessing."

The 6' 3", 305-pound Neuzil said he "didn't have any real discussions" with other teams, and his focus was solely on staying in Atlanta, where he's been since entering the league in 2021.

Familiarity breeds relationships, and Neuzil didn't want to break the bonds he'd built in Atlanta.

"Just the culture," Neuzil said about why he wanted to stay. "Being with the guys, (I) was able to just stay here and develop throughout the four years I was here. So, it was really nice, just being able to know the system, know the guys and just have good relationship with everybody."

Relegated to the practice squad for his entire rookie season and the first half of his second NFL campaign, Neuzil made his debut in Week 9 of 2022 -- and he's been active in every game since. His first start came Oct. 15, 2023, though as a sixth lineman in a jumbo package.

Neuzil started three games at center in 2023, replacing the injured Drew Dalman, and he made eight consecutive starts in 2024 after Dalman went on injured reserve with an ankle injury.

Across his extended action last season, Neuzil allowed only one sack and 10 total pressures in 346 pass blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. His downfall was penalties, as he was flagged seven times, tied for the most in the NFL at the time Dalman returned.

Neuzil's starting stint proved to Falcons head coach Raheem Morris and offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford that he could handle the heightened speed, pressure and responsibilities of regular season games. Subsequently, the stretch eased Atlanta's decision to apoint Neuzil as its starting center this offseason after Dalman left for the Chicago Bears in free agency.

Yet for as valuable as Neuzil's starts proved to be for the Falcons' offseason plans, they were similarly beneficial to the 27-year-old's self-understanding.

"Definitely learned a lot," Neuzil said. "I mean, practice is more important (for) getting the looks, getting everything. But getting the game reps, being able just to know the speed, know the looks -- different looks -- everything, just good getting a hold of it."

Now, Neuzil is no longer the proverbial high-leverage relief arm brought out of the bullpen when needed. He's ascended into the ace of the pitching staff -- and the Falcons are confident and comfortable moving forward as such.

"I think Neuzil's got a lot of strength," Ledford said. "He may be one of the best athletes on the team. But he's just got a lot of power. He's a very explosive guy, just has a lot of power.

"At the center position, if you've got the quickness he shows and you need there, along with the power in the middle, it's a good combination to have, and he's shown that."

The path from undrafted free agent and practice squad player to starting center is unique -- but it's not the reason Falcons All-Pro right guard Chris Lindstrom refers to Neuzil as a "unicorn."

Lindstrom, who's entering Year 7 as an NFL starter and has played football since the sixth grade, knows only two left-handed centers: His brother, Alec, and Neuzil. It doesn't affect the offensive line -- only the quarterback due to the opposite spin of the snap -- but it's a distinguishable characteristic for a player with a distinguishable career arc.

Dripping with sweat after a near-two-hour practice session on a hot Atlanta afternoon, Lindstrom peered to his left and saw Neuzil, who was still speaking with reporters.

After four years in the shadows, Neuzil now has his moment -- and the paycheck to prove it.

"I'm so proud of him," Lindstrom said. "So happy for Ryan. He did such an amazing job. He did it the hard way coming in as an undrafted free agent and really was a great teammate for so many years, learning, doing what everyone's asked of him, and then every opportunity he got, he shined.

"And deservingly so, he's been rewarded. Really going to depend on him this year."