Leonard Floyd was always a ball of untapped potential in Chicago. So it was a bit annoying to see all of those tools fall into place in his first season after leaving the team that traded up in the 2016 NFL Draft to select him.
Now, one year after being released by the Bears and watching the team throw big money at Robert Quinn, Floyd finds himself hauling in a cash grab of his own:
Rams are giving LB Leonard Floyd a four-year, $64 million deal, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2021
Most of all, good for Floyd.
His glow up was real in 2020, when he collected 10.5 sacks, 19 quarterback hits, and 11 tackles-for-loss for the Rams. Floyd learned first-hand how good life can be while rushing the passer alongside Aaron Donald. Now he’ll get to stick around for the foreseeable future. And he’ll be paid handsomely to do so.
Four years and $64 million is a hefty chunk of change for the Bears’ 2016 first-round pick. Considering how the Rams entered the weekend needing to clear more than $30 million just to get under the 2021 salary cap, I’m curious to see this contract’s structure. At first blush, this feels like way too much to justify when Dante Fowler proved a year ago that plug-and-play pass-rushers can thrive next to Donald. But that’s something the Rams have to deal with down the road. Good luck with that!