Chicago Bears

Leonard Floyd Arrives For Chicago Bears on Prime Time

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

Leonard Floyd’s rookie season got off to a slow start over the first six games of it. But on Thursday Night Football, against the Green Bay Packers, Floyd had a breakout game to let Chicago Bears fans know he has arrived.

Chicago Bears head coach John Fox came into the 2016 season wanting to turn the defense around. So the Bears spent money in free agency, signing linebackers Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman. And in the 2016 NFL Draft, they selected OLB Leonard Floyd.

At 6’6″, 245 pounds, Floyd freak athlete to go with his length so they took him at No. 9 overall. Things were expected to come along quickly for him as that is the expectation for Top-10 picks. But that wasn’t necessarily the case for Floyd to begin the season.

He did have a half a sack in his first NFL game but injuries would slow down the rest of the way for him. That was until Floyd broke out on Thursday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers. He had two sacks, including a sack-fumble he recovered for a score.

He would have had three if quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn’t throw the ball just before his butt hit the grass. The finer points of pass-rushing will come but right now, Floyd is going on speed and effort. Both sacks came on stunts where Floyd ran a long way.

On one sack, his speed split two Packers O-lineman and effort got him up after falling to finish the play. On the other, it was speed and effort again as he ran a long way on a stunt. Then he showed more effort when he recovered the fumble he caused in the end zone.

This was the breakout game Bears fans needed to see to get excited about!

Too bad it was in a loss.