One team’s loss is another team’s treasure. After one season, the Philadelphia Eagles felt that pass rusher Bryce Huff was no longer a fit, sending him to the San Francisco 49ers in a trade this offseason. Only one season after a big year with the New York Jets, Huff could not replicate his form with the Eagles and now gets another shot to reestablish himself in San Francisco– while playing for his old coach with the Jets, Robert Saleh.
But the 49ers getting Huff not only was a good move for them, but according to CBS Sports, it was one of the best moves of the entire offseason. In fact, CBS Sports writer Jeff Kerr’s article has the move ranked at No. 10 for trades from the offseason.
Huff Trade Ranking
Kerr alludes two main factors for why Huff struggled with the Eagles– injuries and having to adapt to a new play style. But in San Francisco, Huff will play in Saleh’s defense once again and after having major success with it the last time he played in it, Kerr believes that Huff will be able to play at a high level and revive his career.
“Huff was a disaster with the Eagles last season, not even being active for their Super Bowl LIX victory over the Chiefs,” Kerr said. “The Eagles moved on from Huff during minicamp, sending him to San Francisco and reuniting him with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh — in a defense where he had one of the highest pass-rushing rates in the league as a pass-rushing specialist. Huff’s role in San Francisco will be determined, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him thrive at getting to the quarterback once again.”
In his final season with the Jets in 2023, Huff had 10 sacks and despite not being a starter, he was a major reason why the Jets defense was as good as it was. And if he is able to be that same type of player for the 49ers, then a resurgence could be coming to San Francisco.
Huff’s Outlook for 2025
The numbers show a different story, but many within the organization feel that Huff was not used correctly with the Eagles. And since the 49ers’ defense is very similar to the Jets, many– including star pass rusher, Nick Bosa, believe that Huff can be a superstar if Saleh uses him the way he used him with the Jets.
“He was one of the guys that I liked to really watch when he was with the Jets,” Bosa said. “And obviously, it didn’t work out with the Eagles, but you take a guy who’s playing a four-down-attack front, and then you put him in as an outside backer, it’s not always gonna work out so great. He’s really elite at a certain thing, so we’re gonna use him that way, and I’m excited to see it.”
The 49ers lost a lot of key pieces this offseason and replaced them with younger and cheaper talent, especially on the defensive line. But having a lot of young guys means that veteran presence becomes that much more vital– making Huff’s time with 49ers even more important.
