49ers DE Bryce Huff To Retire

Huff, 27, was traded to the 49ers last offseason and appeared in 15 games during the regular season. He recorded four sacks and six tackles for loss, the second-best production of his career that was still disappointing relative to double-digit totals in both categories in 2023.

The former Memphis standout signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and carved out a rotational role on the defensive line as a rookie. He put up 7.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss in his first three years, though peripheral metrics like his pass rush win rate suggested he had more to offer.

That turned out to be the case in 2023, when he put up 10 sacks and 10 tackles for loss to go along with a 22.9% PRWR that ranked third among defensive linemen, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Huff peaked at the right time and earned a three-yera, $51MM payday from the Eagles with $34MM in guaranteed money.

A disappointing follow-up effort led the Eagles to reconsider their investment, and they ended up trading Huff to the 49ers for a conditional Day 3 pick. He rebounded upon reuniting with Robert Saleh, his head coach in New York, leading the 49ers with 46 pressures.

Huff was due just over $17MM in 2026 with a $5.4MM cap hit, per OverTheCap, but his retirement will wipe both of those numbers off San Francisco’s books. The 49ers will now be looking for edge-rushing depth with Yetur Gross-Matos and Clelin Ferrell also hitting free agency.

Huff will leave the NFL with 81 appearances (21 starts), 24.0 sacks, and 26 tackles for loss to his name, along with just over $40MM in career earnings. In his retirement announcement, he revealed his post-playing plans of starting a company to build safety infrastructure to reduce fire risk when using lithium batteries.