Leonard Floyd had multiple options as he entered free agency but chose the San Francisco 49ers as his next NFL home. It wasn't just the beautiful California weather and scenery that attracted him. Although, during a Wednesday morning conversation on Bay Area radio station KNBR, the defensive end admitted those are among the first things he praises when talking to his friends back on the East Coast.
Floyd signed a two-year, $20 million deal with the 49ers, hoping to return to the Super Bowl with a talented roster fresh off an appearance in the NFL title game. While the money is significant, the defender wasn't entirely financially motivated. Floyd has always admired the 49ers from afar, appreciating the physicality the defense consistently displays on the football field.
"I knew that the 49ers was just one of those teams that always came out and played hard," Floyd told radio hosts Brian Murphy and Markus Boucher. "Every single player came out and played their hardest. And really, they play grown-man football.
You gotta wake up early, eat your breakfast early when you're playing the 49ers because it's gonna be a physical game. "So seeing that from the outside made me want to be a part of that. Seeing them get close so many years, these past few years, I want to come in and help us get over the hump.
" There was already at least one familiar face among the 49ers staff—assistant head coach Brandon Staley. The two spent time together with the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams. .