Falcons will miss starting center Drew Dalman this season, NFL.com analyst claims
Due to financial limitations, the Atlanta Falcons were relatively quiet during the 2025 NFL free agency period. After making big moves to bring in Kirk Cousins, Matthew Judon and Justin Simmons last season, the team made more headlines for the players that it lost in 2025.
The Falcons released the former face of their defense in defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, and let starting center Drew Dalman depart in free agency. Within a matter of hours, both Jarrett and Dalman signed three-year deals with the Chicago Bears.
While players change teams all the time, some are more impactful than others. NFL.com published a list of the player departures that will have the biggest impact on their former teams in 2025. Dalman was one of 13 players listed by NFL.com’s Nick Shook.
“Atlanta lost last season’s fourth-best center (per PFF), with Dalman leaving for the Bears in free agency,” wrote Shook. “Signs point to the Falcons replacing him with Ryan Neuzil, who spent half of last season filling in for the injured Dalman but didn’t perform at the same level. With Michael Penix Jr. entering his first full season as the team’s starting quarterback, having a reliable center becomes even more important.”
While the team wasn’t thrilled about losing Dalman, Atlanta has a decent replacement waiting in the wings. Backup Ryan Neuzil started eight games in place of an injured Dalman last season. The Falcons placed a right-of-refusal tender on Neuzil, although he has yet to sign it.
“Neuzil will need to improve to flirt with Dalman’s consistency, and playing center comes with important responsibilities,” continued Shook. “Like others on this list, the pressure — and the spotlight — will be on Neuzil early. He has yet to sign his restricted free agent tender, but it sounds like it’s just a matter of time before he puts pen to paper.”
The Falcons signed undrafted free agent center Michael Gonzalez out of Louisville last week, but the job still appears to be Neuzil’s to lose. It’s unclear why he has yet to sign his tender. Perhaps he feels the $3.2 million price tag isn’t up to par for a starting center.
Since Atlanta can match any offer Neuzil receives, his options are limited beyond returning to the Falcons next season.
