The San Francisco 49ers have finalized a trade deal with the Philadelphia Eagles to acquire edge rusher Bryce Huff. This deal, which involves a transfer of a mid-round pick in the 2026 draft to the Eagles, was officially announced by the teams on Monday, pending a physical examination. In preparation for this move, Huff agreed to modify his contract with Philadelphia last week.
Huff was slated to earn a fully guaranteed sum of $17 million this year. Of this amount, the Eagles will cover $9.05 million while the 49ers will be responsible for the remaining $7.95 million. The acquisition of Huff aims to bolster San Francisco’s defensive line and adds an effective pass-rushing partner to complement the team’s star player, Nick Bosa. Moreover, this move reunites Huff with Robert Saleh, under whom he enjoyed his most successful season while at the New York Jets in 2023.
During the 2023 season, Huff recorded impressive statistics with 10 sacks and 67 pressures over just 334 pass-rush snaps, a performance highlighted by Pro Football Focus. This remarkable display led to Huff securing a three-year contract worth $51.1 million with the Eagles. However, in his subsequent year in Philadelphia, he managed only 2.5 sacks and 23 pressures, as well as missing five games due to a wrist injury and being a healthy scratch for the Super Bowl.
Huff initially entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent signed by the Jets from Memphis in 2020. Over his first three years, he accumulated 7.5 sacks, with his breakout season coming in 2023 under Saleh’s guidance. The 49ers have been searching for additional pass-rushing strength after releasing Leonard Floyd during the offseason. Though they selected Mykel Williams with the 11th overall pick in April, their roster lacked other defensive ends with a five-sack season in the league. Currently, Yetur Gross-Matos holds extensive experience after recording four sacks in his debut season with San Francisco.
On the Philadelphia side, the Eagles are transforming their lineup at edge rusher following Brandon Graham’s retirement and Josh Sweat’s departure to join Arizona in free agency. The Eagles are looking to increase productivity from returning players such as Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt. They have also bolstered their squad by signing Azeez Ojulari and Joshua Uche in free agency.