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Leonard Floyd expected to join the Falcons (0:54)
Take a look at the numbers that show how Leonard Floyd will help the Falcons. (0:54)
Marc RaimondiMar 11, 2025, 04:51 PM ET
- Marc Raimondi's first year covering the Falcons was 2024, but it wasn't his first year at ESPN. He joined the company in 2019 and was a top combat sports reporter. He also covered professional wrestling and wrote the book "Say Hello to the Bad Guys: How Pro Wrestling's New World Order Changed America," which was published by Simon & Schuster in 2025. Raimondi also worked for the New York Post and Newsday, beginning in 2009, covering high school and college sports, plus the NFL, NFL, MLB and NHL.
The Atlanta Falcons have signed defensive end Leonard Floyd, who was released by the San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday, to a one-year, $10 million contract.
Agent Todd France announced the news on Instagram.
Floyd had 8.5 sacks last season, his first with the 49ers after signing a two-year, $20 million contract with San Francisco last offseason. He finished second on the 49ers in sacks in 2024, behind Nick Bosa, who had nine.
Selected ninth overall by the Chicago Bears in the 2016 draft, Floyd has 66.5 sacks in nine NFL seasons.
Floyd, 32, has at least 8.5 sacks every season since 2020. The Falcons have not had a player with that many sacks in a single season since Adrian Clayborn (9) in 2017, the last time the team made the playoffs.
A pass rusher was, as usual, a priority for the Falcons this offseason. Atlanta finished second to last in the league in sacks (31) and quarterback pressure percentage (28.1%) last season.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris was Floyd's defensive coordinator for two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, and they won a championship together in 2021. Floyd had one of the Rams' seven sacks of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow in Super Bowl LVI to help Los Angeles win a championship.
Floyd played for the University of Georgia and is a Georgia native, so Atlanta will bring a defensive lineman home after releasing hometown player Grady Jarrett on Monday.
Also Tuesday, the Falcons agreed to a two-year, $14 million contract with linebacker Divine Deablo, formerly of the Las Vegas Raiders, per SportsTrust Advisors, his agency. He was a three-year starter for the Raiders on the inside and brings speed -- a 4.45-second 40-yard dash -- to a Falcons defense that badly needed it. He'll likely compete with inside linebacker Troy Andersen for a starting spot alongside Kaden Elliss.
The Falcons are, in addition, bringing back cornerback Mike Hughes on a three-year, $18 million contract, a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Hughes started 19 games at corner for Atlanta over the past two seasons and was the team's starter opposite A.J. Terrell in 2024.
