The San Francisco 49ers’ roster turnover/exodus this offseason has really put a dent in the defense. On the surface Leonard Floyd seemed to be a tradeable asset after finishing second on the team with 8.5 sacks last season, but instead the veteran edge rusher was released.
Floyd’s fell just shy of extending his streak of seasons with at least nine sacks to five last season, and he has not missed a game since the 2020 season. But the 49ers needed to make some changes to fix a run defense that had a bad drop-off last season, and Floyd was part of that equation. He’ll also turn 33 in September, so the effort to get younger and cheaper put him in the bullseye to be cut.
Floyd quickly landed with a new team after being let go by the 49ers, back in his hometown with the Atlanta Falcons.
The Falcons have had a lackluster pass rush for awhile, so Floyd, who has the seventh-most sacks in the NFL over the last five seasons (48), should be very helpful on that front. He had at least nine sacks in each of the two seasons Falcons’ head coach Raheem Morris was his defensive coordinator with the Los Angeles Rams (9.5 in 2021, nine in 2022), starting the aforementioned streak.
Discarded by the 49ers, Leonard Floyd has set a lofty goal for 2025
The Falcons introduced Floyd to the media in Atlanta on Tuesday. He called himself a “smoking gun”, and he made it clear he knows what his role is when he was asked what he brings to the Falcons’ defense.
“Picture third down,” Floyd said. “Third-and-6. Third-and-7. It’s time to get the quarterback. That’s when I show up. That’s what I’m here for.”
Floyd’s has twice reached double-digit sacks in his career, with 10.5 in 2020 and 2023. With that in mind, he went public with his goal for next season. The last Falcon to have a double-digit sack season was Vic Beasley, with 15.5…in 2016.
“Getting my highest amount of sacks in one season, that’s my goal,” Floyd said. “It’s always been my goal, every season.”
Floyd isn’t showing any significant signs of decline as a pass rusher, and he presumably delivered what the 49ers expected there last season. But it wasn’t good enough for him to see the second year of his two-year deal.
Floyd might look pretty good still in place on what is a feeble-looking 49ers’ defensive line right now this side of Nick Bosa. But being discarded like he was, and with his hometown team, might be the combination that pushes him to a higher level next season.
