Timothy T Ludwig/GettyLeonard Floyd tackles Josh Allen during the second half at Bills Stadium on September 27, 2020 in Orchard Park, New York. Bills beat the Rams 35 to 32.
Former Bills linebacker Leonard Floyd is looking forward to making his return to Orchard Park when the San Francisco 49ers, take on Buffalo in this week’s Sunday Night Football matchup.
“I most definitely circled this one because Buffalo is a different experience,” Floyd told hosts Brian Murphy and Markus Boucher on KNBR’s “Murph & Markus” show during a November 25 interview. He pointed to the “great fans” in Buffalo and said Highmark Stadium is “going to be a hostile environment for us.”
Floyd spent the 2023 season in Buffalo after three years in Los Angeles with the Rams and four years with the Chicago Bears. He signed a two-year, $20 million contract with the 49ers in the offseason.
Floyd and the 49ers are 5-6 this season and are coming off of a tough 38-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers on November 24. Floyd was one of the bright spots for San Francisco during that outing, recording two sacks on Green Bay QB Jordan Love. Floyd has 32 tackles, including 6.5 sacks and a forced fumble so far during his first season with the 49ers.
He added during his KNBR appearance about the tough atmosphere for the 49ers in Buffalo, “We’re going to have to endure and play through that and stay together and hopefully come out with a victory.”
Leonard Floyd Said of Josh Allen, ‘Hopefully I Can Bring Him Down’
Floyd was honest about the tough task he and his defensive teammates face against Josh Allen and the Bills offense on Sunday night.
“Sheesh, I ain’t going to lie it’s going to be a tough week,” Floyd said told the KNBR hosts. “Gotta have the right mindset with this one. Being on the same team with him, he’s a very competitive quarterback and you’ve got to be at a high level, you’ve got to match his level. It’s going to be a great matchup.”
Floyd added, “You know me, I’m going out, I’m giving my all I got and hopefully I bring him down.”
Allen has faced down Floyd twice in his career. In their 2022 matchup while Floyd was with the Rams, Floyd did not record a sack. But in 2020, Floyd was able to sack Allen once when he and the Rams faced the Bills quarterback. Allen and Buffalo won both of those matchups.
When asked about the potential for snow and cold weather Sunday night, Floyd said, “It sounds like Buffalo weather. It snowed and then it stopped and it snowed for three days and then it stopped, it’s Buffalo weather. Definitely how it goes in Buffalo.”
Floyd Had 10.5 Sacks With the Bills in 2023, Including the Hit That Ended Aaron Rodgers First Season With the New York Jets
Sarah Stier/GettyLeonard Floyd had 10.5 sacks for the Bills in 2023.
Floyd signed with Buffalo after being cut by the Rams following the 2022 season. In his one year with the Bills, Floyd had 32 tackles and 10.5 sacks. One of his most memorable plays during his time with Buffalo came in week 1 when he sacked Jets QB Aaron Rodgers in the fourth play of his first season in New York. Rodgers tore his achilles on the play and missed the rest of the year.
In his career, Floyd has 402 tackles, 64.5 sacks, 2 interceptions and 5 forced fumbles.
Floyd’s game against the Bills is the start of a reunion tour for the linebacker. He will and the 49ers will face the team that drafted him in the first round in 2016, the Bears, in two weeks, on December 8. They will then face the Rams on December 12.
The Bills and 49ers kick off at 8:20 p.m. Eastern on NBC’s Sunday Night Football on December 1.