The San Francisco 49ers were so close to winning the Super Bowl this past February. They have made a handful of smart moves this offseason to reload the roster for another deep playoff push in 2024. One of those additions, defensive end Leonard Floyd, recently shared his thoughts on why he chose the 49ers in free agency.
“It was the team, always, from the outside looking in, I knew that the 49ers were one of those teams who always came out and played hard, every single player came out and played their hardest,” Floyd said on KNBR. “They play grown man football. You got to wake up early, eat your breakfast early when you the 49ers because it’s going to be a physical game. So seeing that from the outside made me want to be a part of that. Seeing them get close these past few years, I wanted to come in and help us get over the hump.”
Floyd is poised to make an impact right away in San Francisco. He is projected to start opposite of Nick Bosa on the defensive line. His veteran presence should be a positive influence on young players like Drake Jackson and Yetur Gross-Matos.
Another perk of joining the 49ers is having a chance to play against his old coach Sean McVay.
“I’m looking forward to going against my old coach with my new coach,” Floyd said about McVay.
He played in Los Angeles for three years under McVay, including their Super Bowl run in the 2020 season.
Floyd logged 32 total tackles and 10.5 sacks with the Buffalo Bills in 2023. The 49ers would be thrilled if he could maintain that production as the second pass rushing threat on their defense.
Can the San Francisco 49ers return to the Super Bowl this season?
The 49ers deserve respect for consistently getting to the Super Bowl and NFC Championship games. However, they need to actually win a Super Bowl to cement themselves as a dynasty under head coach Kyle Shanahan.
They came very close last season. San Francisco weathered the storm in the first half, walking into halftime with a 10-3 advantage. However, they collapsed in the second half and overtime. They were outscored 10-0 in the third quarter and barely stayed alive for overtime. After a controversial coin flip decision by Kyle Shanahan, the Chiefs were able to win their second Super Bowl in a row.
San Francisco has reloaded the roster in the hopes of avoiding this fate next year. Floyd is one of a handful of savvy free agent signings made by general manager John Lynch. The 49ers signed De'Vondre Campbell to play the Dre Greenlaw role while he recovers from his Super Bowl injury. They also added crucial secondary depth with Rock Ya-Sin and Isaac Yiadom.
The 49ers doubled down in the draft by drafting Renardo Green in the second round. Ricky Pearsall, Dominick Puni, and Isaac Guerendo also jump out as draft picks who fill out the offensive roster with talented backups. All four players could play at some point in 2024.
San Francisco is fortunate to play in an NFC that is much softer than the AFC. As long as they can avoid the injury bug, they should be able to make another deep playoff run this season.
Follow Us
Subscribe
