The Eagles’ defense has made strides recently, helping the team to an 8-2 record. Bryce Huff, however, has not played the kind of role his contract would generally warrant. And the big-ticket free-agency addition will see his season pause soon.
Huff is set to undergo wrist surgery, ESPN.com’s Tim McManus reports. This is not believed to be a season-ending malady, as Huff is slated to return at some point down the road, but it appears he will head to IR. This marks another speedbump for Huff, who had climbed from Jets UDFA to $17M-per-year Eagle. Huff has played recent games with a cast, limiting his effectiveness; the procedure will occur Thursday, All PHLY’s Zach Berman notes.
Philadelphia deployed Huff as a starter to open the season, but the player the Jets deemed a high-end situational rusher has drifted to a backup role. Huff has not started since Week 8 and has not played more than 21% of the Eagles’ defensive snaps in a game since then as well. Huff has played only 32 combined defensive snaps over the past three games, sitting on 2.5 sacks for the season.
Jets GM Joe Douglas showed interest in re-signing Huff, being prepared to make an offer. Owner Woody Johnson ultimately blocked this effort, as Gang Green’s plan careened off course this year. The Jets not franchise-tagging Huff led him to the market, where extensive interest formed. The Commanders, Giants, Seahawks and Vikings pursued Huff, who joined the Eagles early during the legal tampering period. The team reached a reworked agreement with Josh Sweat, leading to Haason Reddick being traded to the Jets — to set off a rumor spree due to the sides’ subsequent impasse.
Although Huff has struggled to acclimate in Philly, the Eagles sit sixth in scoring defense and first in yards allowed. Vic Fangio‘s unit has made improvements, with Sweat leading the team with six sacks. The team is waiting for Huff or 2023 first-rounder Nolan Smith to show consistency. Both edge rushers are sitting on four QB hits for the season; Smith has replaced Huff in the Eagles’ lineup. More will be on the shoulders of Smith and stalwart Brandon Graham while Huff recovers.
