The NFL offseason is known for its massive amount of player movement, and the Atlanta Falcons aren't an exception to the rule. General manager Terry Fontenot has been extremely active throughout the last month, handing out 16 new contracts to new and returning players as of Tuesday, according to Spotrac.
Although Falcons supporters are excited to see several of the fresh faces in action, Leonard Floyd's arrival is one of the bunch that fans are anticipating the most. The veteran disruptor's signing was necessary after Atlanta finished with the second-worst Pro Football Focus pass-rush grade (59.0) last season, leaving time to tell if his presence will help foster a turnaround.
But as exciting as landing a player of Floyd's caliber is for Falcons fans, it turns out that his signing means the world to his family, too.
Falcons News: Leonard Floyd's Signing Brought His Mom to Tears
The Falcons introduced Floyd to the media on Tuesday, giving him his first chance to truly talk about his signing. As much as moving to Atlanta means to the former Super Bowl-winning disruptor, it was his mother who had an emotional reaction to her son's news.
"(My mother) was more excited than me," Floyd said about his deal, according to ESPN's Marc Raimondi. "She's been a Falcons fan her whole life."
Floyd said his mother was crying that he was coming to play in Georgia. "She was more excited than me. ... She's been a #Falcons fan her whole life."
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) March 25, 2025
A good chunk of professional athletes dream about playing in front of friends and family in their hometowns, and Floyd now has that opportunity.
The former 2016 first-round pick was born in Chauncey, GA before playing high school football at Dodge County High School in Eastman, which is about a 2.5-hour drive from Atlanta. He then remained in-state for college, spending three seasons with the Georgia Bulldogs which included 2015 second-team All-SEC honors.
Since leaving Georgia, Floyd has experienced a successful nine-year career that's seen him play 138 games between the Chicago Bears, L.A. Rams, Buffalo Bills, and San Francisco 49ers. He's racked up 253 solo tackles and 66.5 sacks along the way, also adding 15 defended passes, seven fumble recoveries, five forced fumbles, and a pair of interceptions.
Floyd might be beyond his prime, but he's still an effective pass rusher who just tallied 8.5 sacks and 21 pressures in 17 starts with the 49ers last season. For comparison, Arnold Ebiketie led the Falcons with six sacks in 2024, further illustrating the type of boost the local newcomer could inject into defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich's unit.
It will be interesting to see if playing in front of his mother and the rest of his family will be enough motivation to help the Falcons win the division next season. The prospects of that happening are promising, as Atlanta currently holds the second-best NFC South odds (+195) on FanDuel Sportsbook, only slightly behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+145).
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