Bryce Huff excited by trade to 49ers, 'wasn't a fit' with Eagles
Huff was coming off a 10.5-sack season with the New York Jets and had signed a three-year, $51 million contract with the Eagles after the trade was completed. That put expectations "at an all-time high" for the former undrafted free agent's first season in Philadelphia.
Huff struggled to meet those expectations. He logged just 2.5 sacks across 12 regular-season games while missing five because of a torn ligament in his wrist. He didn't log a sack or tackle in two postseason games before being inactive for Super Bowl 59.
"There's a plethora of things that went down. I don't wanna get into specifics," Huff said, addressing his season with the Eagles. "Being in the league for five years, I kinda knew what it felt like for me to be in a good situation."
Still, Huff knew he wasn't likely to get a change of scenery during the 2024 NFL season, especially after the Eagles gave him a deal worth $17 million in average annual value (AAV).
"I knew a trade wasn't going to happen during the season, but I just talked to my agent about it," Huff said. "I was like, 'Yeah, when it's all said and done, I might need to step, just to put myself in the best position to ball out and have a fruitful career.'"
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Huff believes he can achieve that after being traded to the 49ers during the offseason. He has expressed excitement about reuniting with Robert Saleh, who oversaw his career-best seasons with the Jets and now serves as the 49ers defensive coordinator.
"Coach Saleh did a great job lining all that up for us in New York, and I saw a lot of guys elevate themselves throughout my three years with them," Huff told Graham. "So, I'm extremely excited to be back here in San Fran. I know last year wasn't my best season at all in Philly, and I had a lot of stuff going down, but one thing led to another, and I got that call from my agent when the trade window opened up and I was on a plane to Santa Clara. So, I'm extremely excited to be here.
"I've been here working with the same staff that took me from a basic player to like top of the league in pressure rate, top of the league in win rate, sacks, and whatnot," he added. "I've been here putting in the same work that I put in all those years this summer, and I'm gonna be here until the first day of camp. So I'm excited to see how everything plays out this year with being back in Coach Saleh's scheme and being back with this performance staff."
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