When the Philadelphia Eagles traded Bryce Huff to the San Francisco 49ers on Friday afternoon, the team sent a message to one key player on the roster.
Former third-round pick Jalyx Hunt enjoyed a very successful first season with the team. An edge rusher out of Houston Christian University, Hunt was expected to be a bench player for the entire 2024 season.
But ...
The more he played, the better he got. And the more of an impact he made.
Hunt recorded 1.5 sacks in his rookie campaign. He added an addition 1.5 sacks in the playoffs, including one in Super Bowl LIX.
And now?
With a title under his belt (and with the controversial trade consummated), Hunt knows that expectations have increased going into his sophomore year.
“I'm expecting to do what's expected of me,” he said this week. “Whatever the team needs to be done, I'll do it.”
With Nolan Smith recovering from a torn triceps injury, it's clear that the Eagles are going to need as much production from Hunt as they can get.
That is perfectly fine for him. He has high goals to reach going into his sophomore season on his own.
“I work real hard at what I do because I expect a lot from myself," Hunt explained. "I'm just gonna keep doing what I do and focusing on what I can control and then hopefully it leads to everything. Come closer to the season, I'm sure my role will be more defined, and I'll do exactly what's needed. Right now, I'm just focused on getting better.”
With Huff gone, there is a massive hole on the Eagles defensive line going into 2025. That means Hunt will be getting a much bigger role going into his second season.