Out West, Bryce Huff is going to get a fresh start in the NFL for the second season in a row. The veteran pass rusher has to be hopeful that this one doesn’t spoil as quickly as his last.
The Philadelphia Eagles added Huff last year as one of their most notable acquisitions. At the time, Hurff was coming off of a four-year run on the New York Jets.
During the 2023 NFL season, Huff appeared in 17 games. He combined 29 tackles, and generated a career-high 10 sacks. In the three seasons before Huff’s big campaign, he totaled 7.5 sacks.
The Eagles were hopeful the 27-year-old would be a major presence for their defensive front for several seasons. They made a big investment in the young veteran, by putting $51 million on the table for the next three seasons. In the end, Huff would last just one year in Philadelphia.
What went wrong for the defensive end in the eyes of a Philadelphia legend? Brandon Graham suggested that difference between the schemes in New York and Philadelphia played a major part in Huff’s struggles.
“It was just that defense, man,” Graham said on the Ross Tucker Podcast. “I know what it’s like playing in that 4-3, wide-nine, go get it. Every play, it’s always stop the run on the way to the quarterback. That’s the slogan in that type of defense. I feel like it’s all scheme.”
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That’s not a knock from Graham to Huff. The system is important to any player, whether they are on offense or defense.
“I’ve seen different guys flourish in different systems, and then you see him get in another system, it’s different, and what they asked of this year, it just wasn’t a great marriage, I would say,” Graham added.
The Eagles’ defense thrived under the veteran defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio. They especially showed out in the Super Bowl, where they bothered Patrick Mahomes to the point where the Chiefs couldn’t get anything going on offense until the Eagles eased up late in the game.
Unfortunately for Huff, he wasn’t really a part of that on the field. In 2024, Huff appeared in 12 games for the Eagles. He finished the year with 13 tackles and 2.5 sacks. The veteran forced one fumble. As the Eagles went on their impressive Super Bowl run, Huff appeared in just two games. He didn’t register a single statstic in the postseason.
This year, Huff will look to bounce back on the San Francisco 49ers after getting traded. Recency bias doesn’t trust his ability to have an impact out West, but Brandon Graham assures NFL fans that Huff can still be very productive in the right system.
“I know Huff can rush. I see him doing all that, but sometimes it’s just different with the type of scheme and what people ask of you and they want you to be able to do,” Graham finished. “…I just know that Huff’s a baller, man. And hopefully, for him, I want it to be a win for the team.”
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