Leonard Floyd has spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Chicago Bears. But ahead of the league's new year officially beginning next Wednesday, the Bears will have to make a call on whether to retain Floyd on their roster, which comes with a $13.2 million price tag.

The nature of the league's process allowed Chicago to exercise the option of Floyd's deal, giving him a fifth year under contract, but it also allows the organization to move on ahead of free agency.

Should Floyd ultimately be released if the Bears feel that they can deliver better bang for their buck, it's always possible that the two sides could negotiate a long-term deal at a different price point, or Floyd could hit the open market and become one of the most highly sought-after outside linebackers available.

Floyd has been a stalwart of the Chicago defense for each of the past two seasons, having started all 32 games in that span. While he accrued 40 tackles last season — three of which came for a loss — he posted a career-low with three sacks. He tied his career-high with 12 quarterback hits, but general manager Ryan Pace and the rest of the front office will have to determine if that production merits his spot on the roster, which is intrinsically tied back to his price tag.

Chicago made Floyd the ninth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. They have seen him develop into a significant contributor, but now they must decide if they want to reap the benefits of his development.