Pass-rusher Leonard Floyd agrees to contract with 49ers

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Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Free agent pass-rusher Leonard Floyd has agreed to a contract with the San Francisco 49ers.

"San Fran!!!!! Im giving you my best yet," he posted on X.

NFL Network reported that Floyd is signing a two-year, $20 million contract.

While the Buffalo Bills lost Floyd, they agreed to a two-year contract to re-sign defensive end AJ Epenesa, according to multiple reports.

Floyd signed with the Buffalo Bills on a one-year deal last June. His signing ended up being one of general manager Brandon Beane's best moves in 2023, with the pass-rusher having significant success, including starting 16 games with Buffalo in the regular season as one of the leaders of the defensive line rotation.

He ended the 2023 season tying his career high of 10.5 sacks, the most by a Bills player in a single season since Lorenzo Alexander had 12.5 in 2016.

"For me I'm always going where the money goes," Floyd said of his future during locker room cleanout. "Play for another team but I'd rather be here you know, but it is what it is. It's a business. I'm going to go wherever my agent feels like we get the most the most money from."

Floyd, 31, was drafted No. 9 overall by the Chicago Bears in 2016 but was released before the 2020 season, even though the team had exercised the fifth-year option on his rookie contract. He spent the next three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, including winning Super Bowl LVI.

In eight seasons, he has 58 sacks, 122 quarterback hits and 370 tackles.

Epenesa is coming off his best season, with consistency playing a role as he was on the field for a career-high 41% of the Bills' snaps as part of the team's rotation along the defensive line.

He got his hand on the ball, resulting in a variety of big plays while finishing with 6.5 sacks, 5 batted passes, 2 interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He also had a 32-yard interception return for a touchdown against the Washington Commanders in Week 3.

Epenesa kept improving despite dealing with fluctuations in weight. He was selected in the second round of the 2020 draft as the Bills built up the defensive line, investing Day 1 and Day 2 picks at defensive end in consecutive years -- taking Greg Rousseau and Boogie Basham in back-to rounds in 2021.

In his four seasons, Epenesa, who turns 26 on Sept. 15, has 64 tackles in 58 games, with 15.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 interceptions and 15 passes defensed.

ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg contributed to this report.

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