Eagles Appear to Bench $51 Million Starter in Favor of $5.5 Million Rookie

Getty Head coach Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Bryce Huff experiment isn’t going that great for the Philadelphia Eagles so far this season.

Signed to a three-year, $51.1 million contract in March 2024, the hope was that Huff would bolster the Eagles’ pass rush significantly. That hasn’t happened. Through the first nine games, his contributions have been limited to say the least.

In nine games (five starts), Huff has a total of nine tackles (four solo and five assisted), 4 QB hits and 2.5 sacks. These figures are modest, especially considering his previous season with the New York Jets, where he finished with a career-high 10 sacks. After starting five of his first seven games, Huff has gone to a reserve role over the last two weeks, with third-round rookie pass rusher Jalyx Hunt seeing increased snaps in his place.

Per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Hunt played 42% of Philadelphia’s defensive snaps in the Eagles’ Week 10 win over the Dallas Cowboys, while Huff played just 20%.

Huff Has Been a Huge Disappointment for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024

The Eagles’ decision to invest heavily in Huff was largely based on his impressive pressure rates with the Jets. In 2023, he led the NFL with a 21.8% pressure rate (minimum 250 pass rushes), per Next Gen Stats. That efficiency created high expectations for his impact in Philadelphia. However, his current performance has not mirrored these past achievements, leading to questions about the team’s return on investment for his services.

Huff’s inability to replicate past success has led to Hunt, who is in the first year of his $5.5 million rookie contract, seeing the field more as the season has progressed.

It has been a slow go for Huff in Year 1 with the Eagles, and things haven’t gotten any easier in recent weeks. For instance, against the Jacksonville Jaguars Week 9, Huff didn’t register any tackles or sacks after playing just six defensive snaps. Head coach Nick Sirianni explained that Huff “came off the field” due to a hand injury sustained during warmups, which contributed to his limited participation.

“He’s got a wrist issue he’s been dealing with that flared up in the pregame,” Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said about Huff, via NJ.com. “I always kind of feel that somebody that is 100 percent is better than somebody that is dealing with an ailment, so, luckily the way the game went we were able to play most of the other guys sharing the load.”

Per McLane, Huff said his wrist was fine heading into Week 10, and that he wouldn’t be restricted in any way. If that’s the case, the Eagles are making a clear statement by playing Hunt.

Will Eagles Continue to Play Jalyx Hunt Over Bryce Huff?

Hunt’s 25 snaps against the Cowboys were the most the rookie edge has played all season. Huff has played 18 snaps over his last two games combined. Considering the money Philadelphia spent on Huff, that’s a concerning number.

The 6-foot-3, 252-pound Hunt has played 42 snaps so far this season, and he has registered two solo tackles, a QB hit, a forced fumble, a pass defensed and 1.0 sacks. In minimal opportunities, he’s making impactful plays. If that continues, expect Fangio to stick with what’s working.

Beth Mishler-Elmore Beth Mishler-Elmore is a Heavy sports contributor based in the Midwest, focusing on the NFL, NBA and WNBA. More about Beth Mishler-Elmore