NFL defensive end Leonard Floyd recently wrapped up a strong season with the Buffalo Bills and becomes a free agent in March.
Floyd could be open to returning to the Bills, but he suggested he is entering free agency with a business-minded approach.
The 31-year-old pass rusher’s primary focus is money.
“For me, I’m always going where the money goes. I’d rather be here, but it is what it is. It’s a business. I’m gonna go wherever my agent feels like we get the most money from,” Floyd said, via the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle.
Leonard Floyd of the Buffalo Bills during pregame warmups before a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium Dec. 10, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
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The Bills will have salary cap constraints this offseason, so it may be difficult for the team to retain Floyd.
In 2021, Bills star quarterback Josh Allen signed a six-year contract extension worth up to $258 million. Allen’s salary cap hit is projected to balloon to an estimated $47 million for the 2024 season.
Star wide receiver Stefon Diggs and edge rusher Von Miller are also expected to carry significant salary cap hits next season.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) is injured while being sacked by Buffalo Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd (56) during the first half at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Sept. 11, 2023. (Vincent Carchietta/USA Today Sports)
The Bills are projected to be more than $50 million over the NFL salary cap for 2024, according to Over the Cap.
Floyd was the ninth overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft. He spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Chicago Bears before being released after the 2019 season.
He landed with the Los Angeles Rams for the 2020 season. The former Georgia Bulldogs star then signed a multi-year extension and was a member of Los Angeles’s Super Bowl-winning team.
