Leonard Floyd's 'Very Intense' Nature, Contract Hopes Fueling Buffalo Bills' Pass Rush

Edge rusher Leonard Floyd has been the Buffalo Bills' most productive pass rusher. Assistant head coach Eric Washington spoke about the chip on his shoulder.

In Sunday’s 31-10 win over the visiting Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills edge rusher Leonard Floyd took down Dak Prescott, bringing his sack total on the year to 10.5.

In doing so, he earned a $1 million incentive, a testament to both the year he’s having and how uncertain his NFL future was mere months ago.

Floyd waited until June to find his suitor, ultimately landing in Western New York with a one-year, $7 million deal with incentives that could tack on $2 million. Without guaranteed playing time, Floyd needed to make the most of his 2023 campaign to secure another payday and another chance to play at the sport’s highest level.

© Jamie Germano, Democrat and Chronicle

With three games to play in the regular season, it’s safe to say he has made good on that opportunity.

Assistant head coach Eric Washington spoke about the traits that Floyd has showcased in his partial season in Buffalo.

“My first impression of Leonard was that he’s extremely competitive,” Washington said. “Whatever is motivating or driving that – that’s for him to respond, but I just know that he’s very competitive which is a great trait to have for a person that has to win one-on-one. He’s been the same from day one: very focused, very intense in practice.”

That competitive nature has made itself known. Despite ranking 43rd in pass-rush snaps among edge rushers, he ranks top 15 in sacks. His 11.1-percent pass-rush win rate (via Pro Football Focus) ranks 38th among qualified edge rushers, but he continues to find his way into the box score.

Perhaps there are some questions about parlaying a mediocre win rate into production and what it means for next year, but teams pay for sacks and the Bills are happy to take his impact this season.

“He wants to get to the quarterback, he wants to make a difference, but he also takes pride in other aspects of his game,” Washington said. “The things that sort of the dirty work type of things that you have to do, so his demeanor has been consistent and the results speak for themselves.”

Bernard Reveals How Defense ‘Set a Standard’ vs. Cowboys

Floyd currently leads Buffalo in sacks, four ahead of edge rusher A.J. Epenesa and defensive tackle Ed Oliver. His sack on Sunday was part of a defensive effort that held Dallas to 195 total yards and helped the Bills re-emerge as legitimate contenders in an unsteady AFC field.

He’ll have the opportunity to pad those stats on Saturday when Buffalo visits the beleaguered Los Angeles Chargers and backup quarterback Easton Stick.