Bryce Huff came to San Francisco in 2o25 primarily due to his connection with Robert Saleh.
The 49ers traded for Huff in May last year after he struggled to find his place with the Philadelphia Eagles. Saleh knew Huff well from their time together with the New York Jets, but now that the former Niners defensive coordinator has left to fill the head coaching vacancy in Tennessee, it’s fair to wonder what the future holds for Huff in the Bay Area.
Looking into the offseason, some think he could be a goner. Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report named Huff one of the 49ers’ “most likely cap casualties.”
“The 49ers took a calculated dice roll when they traded for Bryce Huff,” Ballentine wrote on January 29. “The pass-rusher was highly successful for the Jets with 10 sacks in 2023 before putting up just 2.5 sacks with Philadelphia in 2024. The deal brought them Huff’s upside while also sticking them with the final two years of his contract.”
Will the San Francisco 49ers Cut DE Bryce Huff in 2026?
GettyDE Bryce Huff of the San Francisco 49ers has been named a top cut candidate heading into the 2026 offseason.
While with the Jets under Saleh from 2021 through 2023, Huff had 15.5 sacks, and the best season of his career came in 2023, when he finished with 10 QB takedowns. According to Next Gen Stats, Huff led the NFL in pressure rate in 2021 and 2022, which is why he got paid when he reached free agency.
He signed a three-year deal worth $51 million with Philly in 2024, and the Eagles expected him to grow into a larger role. That didn’t happen. Instead, he finished the 2024 season with just 2.5 sacks.
San Francisco traded for him after that, and it made sense at the time because Saleh was leading the defense. As part of the deal, Philadelphia agreed to pay a large portion of Huff’s guaranteed money, while the 49ers were responsible for roughly $8 million of his 2025 salary.
But now that Saleh is gone, will the 49ers still keep Huff around? It’s not like the DE’s 2025 production was all that impressive.
“This year, he played in 15 games and only notched four sacks with another 15 quarterback hits,” Balentine also noted, adding: “Huff is a suspect run defender which puts more emphasis on his pass-rush production. The Niners will have to weigh whether the money they save can be spent better elsewhere.”
Niners Will Likely Add More Edge Help in 2026
The heart and soul of San Francisco’s defensive line is still Nick Bosa, who is signed long-term and remains the one of the league’s best pass rushers. There’s also Mykel Williams, who San Francisco drafted in the first round last year, but he’s coming off an ACL tear that limited his rookie year.
If the 49ers were to cut Huff, they would free up just under $5.5 million if they were to release him before June 1. It wouldn’t be a surprise if San Francisco cut ties with Huff and used that money to pursue a better edge in free agency — Jaelan Phillips and Trey Hendrickson will both be available. Pairing a player of that ilk with Bosa would be a nightmare for opposing offenses.
Huff could still stick around, of course, but he may be one and done in San Francisco.
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