Vic Fangio Delivers Smug "I Told You So" After Leonard Floyd Debut

Leonard Floyd caught a lot of people by surprise with his performance in the 2019 opener against Green Bay. He sacked Aaron Rodgers not once but twice, both coming at the expense of All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari. It was a clear continuation of the excellent football the former 1st round pick was playing at the end of 2018. It's also not something that surprised his former coach Vic Fangio in the slightest.

The former Chicago Bears defensive coordinator left to become the head coach in Denver this past offseason. With the Broncos and Bears set to meet in Week 2, the media had a chance to catch up with him. When the subject of Floyd was broached, Fangio couldn't help but seem a bit smug about it. He'd consistently stated how good Floyd could be. It was a matter of a few things coming together. When it finally did, the league would see.

Floyd's primary issue through his first three seasons in Chicago was health. It was rather remarkable how unfortunate he was in this regard. He suffered two concussions as a rookie. One coming after running into Akiem Hicks by accident. Then it was Kyle Fuller accidentally colliding with his knee in 2017, tearing it up. Last year it was the misfortune of having his hand broken in a preseason game. Each time it seemed to derail him just as he was gaining some momentum.

Vic Fangio is a pretty good judge of pass rushers

It's important to remember that Fangio was present when Floyd was drafted back in 2016. He gave his full support to the decision when a lot of people questioned it. He saw the vast pass rush potential the Georgia product had. It was a matter of whether he could improve his strength and master the intricacies of the position. It took a bit longer than hoped, but once Khalil Mack arrived to offer his mentorship, it seemed like Floyd hit another gear.

Suddenly he wasn't just a speed rush guy. He showed more patience and an ability to deliver a power bull rush that hadn't been there in the past. Both were on display against the Packers. In hindsight, people probably should've trusted Fangio's assessment. The longtime coach had worked with a number of great pass rushers in his career. Most notable among them being Hall of Famers Rickey Jackson and Kevin Green.

There is a long way to go, but Floyd is already off to the best start of his career. If he finishes strong, the Bears will still hold his rights for one more season due to picking up his 5th year option. They will have a decision to make though. Do they try to sign him to an extension? Do they let him play the contract out and become a free agent? Or do they try to trade him while his value is peaking?

Only GM Ryan Pace can answer that and he won't make any decision until the season is over.