49ers trade for $51 million defensive star to reunite with Robert Salah

Billy Heyen

49ers trade for $51 million defensive star to reunite with Robert Salah image

The San Francisco 49ers just made a huge defensive upgrade.

It required trading a mid-round pick to the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, and in return, the 49ers will acquire defensive end Bryce Huff. The trade, reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter, technically can't be finalized until June 1.

Huff is in entering into the second year of a three-year, $51 million contract.

He signed that deal after having a career season with the Jets playing under head coach Robert Salah.

Salah is now the 49ers' defensive coordinator.

In 2023 with the Jets, Huff had 10 sacks and 68 pressures on 312 pass rush snaps, which was the best pressure rate in the NFL, per Schefter.

Huff had been involved in trade rumors for most of the offseason, and now the Eagles finally get him sent out of town.

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The 49ers currently look like Nick Bosa and first-round rookie Mykel Williams could be the starters on the edge. Huff can factor in, potentially allowing Williams to do a bit more watching and learning as a rookie.

Huff struggled in 2024 with the Eagles, getting just 2.5 sacks in 12 games.

Other than his big 2023, he's never topped 3.5 sacks in a season.

Huff was undrafted out of Memphis, so he's already a huge NFL success story.

And now he joins a 49ers team that's looking for a turnaround after a disappointing 6-11 season. Paired with Salah once again, Huff has a chance to help provide it.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle