Like quarterback Jared Goff and cornerback Jalen Ramsey, Los Angeles Rams outside linebacker Leonard Floyd was a top-10 pick in the 2016 NFL draft.
Goff was chosen first by the Rams, Ramsey fifth by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Chicago Bears selected Floyd ninth.
But while Goff and Ramsey had their fifth-year options exercised — ensuring big paydays had they not received massive extensions from the Rams — the Bears in March cut Floyd after four seasons.
On Monday night, Floyd faces his old team when the Rams (4-2) play the Bears (5-1) at SoFi Stadium.
Asked Saturday whether there was special motivation because of how his Bears career ended, Floyd began by saying that he was motivated to help the Rams win.
"But yeah, going into this game it's a little more added energy for it going against my old team," he said during a videoconference with reporters after practice.
Floyd has two of the Rams' 20 sacks, and he plays nearly every snap for a unit that ranks fourth in the NFL in pass defense, fifth in scoring defense and 11th in rushing defense.
"Leonard's done a great job for us," Rams coach Sean McVay said. "I mean, the versatility, the passion he plays with, he's done a great job rushing the passer."
Floyd also was part of tough defenses with the Bears. But after recording seven sacks as a rookie, his sack production decreased each season. If the Bears had exercised their fifth-year option, Floyd would have earned $13.2 million this season.
Parting ways with the 6-foot-5, 240-pound Floyd was a difficult decision, Bears coach Matt Nagy said.
"He's a really good player, but when you start getting into the business side of it, there's just decisions that have got to be made and that was one of the tough ones we had to make," Nagy told Los Angeles reporters Saturday during a videoconference.
After last season, the Rams needed an edge rusher because the cost of keeping Dante Fowler was deemed too steep. Fowler, who amassed a career-best 11 1/2 sacks in 2019, signed a three-year, $45-million deal with the Atlanta Falcons that included $29 million in guarantees, according to overthecap.com.
New Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley coached Floyd in 2017 and 2018 when he was the Bears' outside linebackers coach. The Rams signed Floyd to what is essentially a one-year, $10-million prove-it contract.
"Watching him this year and what he's doing for Brandon Staley and for coach McVay, you're seeing a guy that's making plays at certain times that we saw in the past," Nagy said. "And he's always going to play hard. And they're doing a great job with him, and he's playing well."
Ramsey, acquired by the Rams in a trade last October, said that Floyd provides energy and passion, even in tough stretches such as last Sunday in a defeat against the San Francisco 49ers.
Now Floyd will be playing against his former team.
"This is a big game for him, obviously, and we're going to have his back," Ramsey said. "And I hope he plays extremely well, and I hope we get the win for him. ... I don't know his situation and how it went down in Chicago, but ... I'm extremely happy to have him here on our team."
McVay is not concerned about Floyd getting overly excited on the field while playing against the Bears.
"That's not something that I worry about at all," McVay said. "If anything, he's brought consistent juice week in and week out. He's a great energy guy for us, and I expect nothing different Monday night."
In 2018, Floyd helped the Bears defeat the Rams 15-6 at Soldier Field. Last season, the Rams beat the Bears 17-7 at the Coliseum.
Floyd anticipates another defensive struggle.
"It's going to come down to crunch time and who's going to make that big play," he said.
The Bears' defense features many of the players that Floyd teamed with the last few seasons. He said he remains close to end Akiem Hicks, outside linebacker Khalil Mack and others.
"Really the whole defense," he said. "They're all my guys. I'll make sure I speak to them after the game."
