The San Francisco 49ers received some surprising news on Thursday, as pass rusher Bryce Huff posted a video to Instagram announcing his retirement from football.
Huff, 27, was the 49ers’ leader in sacks (4) and pressures (46) last season, being a key contributor as a pass-rush specialist playing a career-high 56 percent of the defensive snaps. He played in 15 games in his lone season with the 49ers, starting eight, and had just completed his sixth season in the NFL.
Huff started his career with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent out of Memphis in 2020. He played in 14 games as a rookie, recording 16 tackles, four tackles for loss, and two sacks. In a bigger role in 2021, Huff had 14 tackles and two sacks as a second-year pro, playing in nine games and starting seven.
The breakout came during Huff’s fourth year, when his fast get-off was crucial in a 10-sack season for the Jets. That led to him earning a three-year, $51 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, but Huff wasn’t a great fit in Vic Fangio’s defense, leading to a trade to San Francisco last offseason.
Huff was a quality contributor for the 49ers last year, but was thrust into a bigger role than expected after season-ending injuries to Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams. He was expected to have a $5.392 million cap hit this season, but had no guaranteed money remaining on his deal.
With Huff’s departure, the 49ers currently have Bosa, Williams, and Sam Okuayinonu as their main edge rushers, so the position will certainly be a priority now in free agency and/or the draft.
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