On Wednesday, the NFL team announced that defensive back Siran Neal has signed with the Miami Dolphins.
Throughout all six of his NFL seasons, Neal has been a member of the Buffalo Bills. However, on March 6, Neal became a free agent after the Bills cut around $26 million from their 2024 salary-cap commitments by letting go of five players, including Neal.
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Neal signed a three-year, $9 million contract extension in 2022, just before he was set to become an unrestricted free agent. He has one season left on it. Although the specifics of Neal’s new contract are unknown, it is believed to be a one-year agreement.
On Wednesday afternoon, Dolphins cornerback Justin Bethel became an unrestricted free agent, and Neal joined the team in Miami. With 318 special teams plays in 2023, Bethel led Miami. In 2023, Neal played 342 special teams plays for Buffalo.
Only three players in the league have played more special teams plays with a single team than Neal has since joining the NFL in 2018 as a fifth-round draft selection from Jacksonville State, with 1,714 plays during the regular season with the Bills.
He participated in 97 regular-season games and 567 defensive snaps. Neal also participated in ten postseason games with Buffalo. Neal has missed two games throughout his six seasons in the NFL.
At Abbeville High School, Neal was a wide receiver who was named honorable-mention All-State in 2011. He was Eufaula High School’s first-team All-State athlete in 2012. Neal focused on playing cornerback at Jacksonville State, where he participated in the NCAA FCS title game in 2015 and was selected for the 2017 NCAA FCS All-American squad by the American Football Coaches Association.