SANTA CLARA – Aaron Rodgers obtained sacked twice by Nick Bosa in his remaining Inexperienced Bay Packers playoff recreation, that coming amid a snow-capped Lambeau Subject within the 49ers’ divisional-round upset in January 2022.
A 12 months in the past, Rodgers obtained sacked by Leonard Floyd to not solely destroy Rodgers’ New York Jets debut however finish his season. Rodgers sustained a torn Achilles tendon.
“It was only a common soccer play for me, an everyday sack on the quarterback,” Floyd recalled Thursday. “He simply occurred to get damage.”
Floyd got here to the 49ers to pair up with Bosa because the 49ers’ premier move rushers, and Rodgers is the primary quarterback they’ll face collectively, come the Monday evening, Sept. 9 regular-season opener at Levi’s Stadium.
Floyd turns 32 a day earlier, so he’s been round lengthy sufficient to not solely expertise that prime-time highlight, however even achieve this in pursuit of Rodgers.
“I’ve finished performed plenty of soccer. In Chicago, typically we’d have Aaron as a primary recreation,” stated Floyd, a 2016 Bears’ first-round choose who certainly confronted the Packers to open each the 2018 and ’19 seasons in prime time.
“Shoot, man, my scouting report is he’s a legendary quarterback and it’s important to come together with your ‘A’ recreation, as a result of he’s the sort the place he’ll embarrass you,” Floyd added. “In case you give him some momentum, he’s going to hold that momentum for the entire recreation. You simply should be in your Ps and Qs, as a result of he’ll rating each time if you happen to let him.”
Rogers was 0-4 in opposition to the 49ers in playoff motion for Inexperienced Bay, with a 6-3 regular-season report that features wins in his 2020 and ’21 visits to Levi’s Stadium.
The 49ers, for as a lot as their extremely paid offensive stars generate consideration, are nonetheless insistent that their defensive entrance dictates video games. Which means Floyd and Bosa – plus inside linemen Javon Hargrave, Maliek Collins, and Jordan Elliott — should get after Rodgers to spoil one other of his and the Jets’ Monday evening debuts.
When a reporter requested Bosa in camp about Floyd (6-foot-3, 240 kilos) being a leaner move rusher, Bosa got here to his new teammate’s protection. “Have you ever seen him up shut? He’s fairly constructed,” Bosa stated. “He’s 245, shredded, most likely like 5% physique fats and might run.
“He’ll be simply fantastic within the scheme and he’s proved that he can rush the passer so it’s good to have him.”
With No. 3 defensive finish Yetur Gross-Matos having suffered a extra extreme knee damage than Floyd within the preseason finale, the 49ers may lean much more so on Bosa, who, a 12 months in the past, was coming off a coaching camp holdout and signed a top-end contract days simply earlier than the opener at Pittsburgh.
“Bosa is Bosa. He’s going to come back in and ball out,” cornerback Charvarius Ward stated. “Clearly lacking coaching camp (final 12 months) was most likely tough on him, as a result of he was tough across the edges slightly bit. However I feel he’ll be himself this 12 months and everyone goes to see the perfect Bosa they’ve ever seen, hopefully.”
Nick Sorensen, the 49ers’ new defensive coordinator after two years as an assistant, described Bosa as having an important camp that went in accordance with the sixth-year veteran’s strict plan. “I count on that he’ll have an excellent 12 months and I feel he’s in actually good condition too,” Sorensen stated. “He’s in an excellent mindset and way of thinking so far as how he’s attacking it and his angle.”
Arguably the perfect recreation Bosa performed, or at the very least considered one of his most memorable, was his first ‘Monday Evening Soccer’ affair. That was an October 2019 house rout of Cleveland and Baker Mayfield, with Bosa accruing two sacks, a compelled fumble and a fumble restoration.
“Nick is a good man, an important professional,” Floyd stated. “He’s all in regards to the group, all about successful, and ensuring we’ve that as a standard aim.”
To that finish, Floyd and Bosa usually evaluate notes and focus on pass-rushing strategies throughout defensive warmups at observe. “We positively do,” Floyd stated, “as a result of we’re each making an attempt to get to the quarterback as a lot as doable.”
One time was sufficient for Floyd — and Rodgers — a 12 months in the past for the Monday evening viewers.
“I didn’t actually have a view. I used to be simply celebrating my sack,” Floyd stated. “I didn’t learn about it till the opposite quarterback simply saved enjoying.”
Relatively than hold rehashing that play and inciting Rodgers’ rage, Floyd scurried away from reporters within the locker room, saying: “We’ve obtained to nonetheless play. I can’t jinx it.”
