Super Bowl LVI Champion Pass Rusher Signs with the 49ers
Through his eight-year NFL career, pass rusher Leonard Floyd has become a top-end edge rusher in the league that comes with heavy sack production for opposing quarterbacks. Following a heart-crushing end to the Buffalo Bills season in the Divisional Round last season against the eventual Super Bowl Champions Kansas City Chiefs, Floyd entered free agency looking to capitalize on his continued sack production season. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, it has been reported that Floyd has signed a two-year deal worth up to 24 million with 12 million being guaranteed by the San Francisco 49ers. Entering the upcoming season, Floyd will still be a headache for opposing offensive lines thanks to his unique combination of strength, speed, and agility.
Floyd, 31, was drafted in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. In his rookie season, Floyd beat out multiple fellow edge rushers in training camp to be named the starter for the season. Floyd completed his rookie season with 33 total tackles, seven sacks, and one forced fumble. The seven sacks produced in his rookie campaign ranked third among all rookies in the league. Following four seasons in Chicago, Floyd would be released following the 2019-20 season. Floyd would sign with the Los Angeles Rams prior to the 2020-21 season, where he played three seasons with the Rams. During the 2021 season, Floyd would put together a career year that saw him tally 70 total tackles, 9.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception. The Rams and Floyd would go on to win Super Bowl LVI against the Bengals.
After signing a one-year contract with the Bills last season, Floyd finished the season with 32 total tackles, 10 and a half sacks, and one forced fumble. In a Week Ten victory against the Jets, Floyd had his best game of the season, as he recorded four total tackles, three solo tackles, one assisted tackle, and two and a half sacks. Despite a drop in tackles made throughout the season, Floyd remained a formidable threat for a Bills’ defense that succumbed to injuries late in the season. The Niners will be adding a versatile edge rusher in Floyd, as he will be able to keep offensives guessing and creating mismatches in key situations next season.
