Instead of tendering Ryan Neuzil as an exclusive rights free agent, the Atlanta Falcons signed him to a one-year agreement as their backup center.

In Week 9 of his sophomore year, Neuzil—who signed as an undrafted free agent in 2021—made his NFL debut. Due to injuries to Matt Hennessy, the starting guard and primary backup center, Neuzil moved up the depth chart to become the best backup to starter Drew Dalman.

In Week 6, he made his first career start. Dalman will likely use him as his primary backup, and he will also be a depth player in 2024.

The Falcons were able to avoid tendering exclusive rights free agent Ryan Neuzil today, signing the backup center to a one-year extension, according to Jeremy Fowler . The third-year lineman will remain in Atlanta for the 2024 season.

Neuzil signed with the Falcons as an undrafted free agent out of Appalachian State in 2021. After spending his rookie year on the practice squad, Neuzil made his NFL debut in Week 9 of his sophomore season, getting called up as a practice squad elevation. He would appear in every game for the rest of the 2022 season, appearing only on special teams, except for five offensive snaps in the team’s regular season finale.