It's rare to see Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman miss on a move so bad, but edge rusher Bryce Huff has not done his boss much favors there.
The Eagles thought they were going to get one of the premier pass rushers in last offseason's free agency. Instead, they picked up a massively disappointing defender who missed five games and underperformed in every category.
Huff has good news, though, as he has another season to prove that he can be the 2023 version the Eagles originally signed. He makes for a perfect candidate to press forward and rebound from his 2024 disastrous season.
Huff is poised for a bounce-back 2025 season.
PFF writer Dalton Wasserman named his bounce-back candidates for each of the 32 NFL teams. Huff was named as the top candidate to have a better season for Philadelphia in 2025.
"Huff’s first season in Philadelphia couldn’t have gone much worse. He lost his starting job by Week 9 and was a non-factor during the Eagles’ Super Bowl run. His 15.0% pass-rush win rate marked a steep decline from his production with the Jets. However, with Philadelphia losing edge defenders Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham this offseason, Huff will have another opportunity to prove he can provide meaningful pass-rush value in 2025."
In 12 games last year, Huff only made 13 tackles, four quarterback hits, three tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and one forced fumble. He was a non-factor in the postseason as he didn't record a single stat as the Eagles won the Super Bowl.
Huff is in the second year of his three-year, $51 million contract. His cap hit in 2025 will be $7.4 million, and in 2026 it will be $11.6 million.
Early projections of the Eagles' depth chart do not have Huff as a starter, as he's expected to be the second string. Nolan Smith Jr. is the only edge rusher who is an automatic starter. Huff will have to challenge Azeez Ojulari, Jalyx Hunt, and Josh Uche for the other starting position.
It was only two years ago that Huff was racking up 10 sacks with the New York Jets and certainly looked like he was going to be the next great edge rusher. At 27, it's too early to bury Huff's career, as he's entering the prime of his career and has a chance to improve in 2024.
Ojulari and Uche are on one-year deals to provide more insurance in case Huff has a second straight season of disappointment. It's on Huff to knock those guys out of contention and get back to what he is best at doing: pressuring the quarterback with his strength and speed.
