The Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers are finalizing a deal for EDGE Bryce Huff according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
After Huff stayed away from the Eagles during spring workouts, it became clear he would not return to Philly for a second season. Schefter reports the 49ers are giving up a mid-round pick to acquire him but the deal will not be concluded until after June 1 due to salary cap machinations.
Huff has restructured his contract to facilitate the trade. As Schefter’s colleague Field Yates details, Philadelphia declined Huff’s option bonus (which was worth a guaranteed $15.58MM), giving him a 2025 base salary of the same amount. The Eagles then converted $9.05MM of that salary into a signing bonus that they will absorb as dead money across the next two years. San Francisco will take on the remaining $7.95MM in base pay for the coming campaign. Philadelphia will save more than $15MM in cap space while the 49ers become responsible for the final two years of Huff’s contract.
Expectations were high for Huff upon his arrival in Philadelphia last year, but his $51MM pact did not work out as planned. This deal will allow him to reunite with Robert Saleh after the two worked together with the Jets. Saleh was the head coach for Huff’s final three years in New York and returned to the 49ers’ defensive coordinator position this offseason.
Returning to a Saleh-coached defense could help Huff return to his 2023 form, which featured 10 sacks and a league-high 21.3% pressure rate, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. The 27-year-old struggled to adapt to Vic Fangio‘s scheme in Philadelphia, which demanded more versatility out of its edge defenders. In San Francisco, Huff can focus on rushing the passer, which could free up No. 11 pick Mykel Williams to take on a more variable role on third downs.