Malcom Floyd hasn't played all 16 games in a regular season since 2009, but the longtime San Diego Chargers wideout hopes to snap that streak starting Monday night against the Arizona Cardinals.
Coming off last year's season-ending neck injury, Floyd -- who turns 33 on Monday -- was voted by scribes as the runaway MVP in spring sessions after serving as the "most-targeted" pass-catcher for quarterback Philip Rivers.
"He's by far the most underrated player in the last 10 years," Chargers tight end Antonio Gates recently told U-T San Diego's Kevin Acee.
Floyd is pegged for the team's No. 2 receiving role across from Keenan Allen after averaging a whopping 24.8 yards per catch over six grabs last season before the injury. A healthy Floyd "often" won matchups this summer with Brandon Flowers, prompting the veteran cornerback to acknowledge, "He's in Year 10 and he's moving like he's in Year 3."
The Chargers promise to go run-heavy from wire to wire, but Allen's increased speed combined with the field-stretching skills of "Making the Leap" tight endLadarius Green puts coach Mike McCoy's passing attack on the radar.
A full season from Floyd would serve as the cherry on top for a squad we see as genuine playoff material in 2014.
The latest "Around The NFL Podcast" predicts our Super Bowl champions and the major winners of the regular-season awards.