10:20pm: While the restructure to Huff’s contract and his subsequent trade will clear more than $15MM off the Eagles’ 2025 salary cap, the team is only receiving $2.4MM in practical savings, according to OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald. Originally, Huff would have counted for $7.4MM against the 2025 cap with his option bonus prorating out over the next five years. Now, the Eagles will have to absorb a $4.94MM dead cap charge this year with $16.6MM in dead money in 2026.
While there is a lot of chatter about the Eagles creating over $15 million in space this year the reality is Huff’s original cap number was just $7.4 million so really the team is only $2.4 million better off than originally expected.
12:43pm: To little surprise, Bryce Huff will not remain with the Eagles for 2025. A trade agreement is in place for the veteran edge rusher.
After remaining away from the team during spring workouts, Huff is set to be on the move shortly. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports a trade has been worked out which will send him to the 49ers in return for a mid-round pick. The swap will officially take place after June 1. Schefter notes a Day 3 pick will change hands in this case.
Huff has restructured his contract to facilitate the trade. As Schefter’s colleague Field Yates details, Philadelphia declined Huff’s option bonus (which was worth a guaranteed $15.58MM), giving him a 2025 base salary of the same amount. The Eagles then converted $9.05MM of that salary into a signing bonus that they will absorb as dead money across the next two years. San Francisco will take on the remaining $7.95MM in base pay for the coming campaign. Philadelphia will save more than $15MM in cap space while the 49ers become responsible for the final two years of Huff’s contract.
Expectations were high for Huff upon his arrival in Philadelphia last year, but his $51MM pact did not work out as planned. This deal will allow him to reunite with Robert Saleh after the two worked together with the Jets. Saleh was the head coach for Huff’s final three years in New York and returned to the 49ers’ defensive coordinator position this offseason.
Returning to a Saleh-coached defense could help Huff return to his 2023 form, which featured 10 sacks and a league-high 21.3% pressure rate, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. The 27-year-old struggled to adapt to Vic Fangio‘s scheme in Philadelphia, which demanded more versatility out of its edge defenders. In San Francisco, Huff can focus on rushing the passer, which could free up No. 11 pick Mykel Williams to take on a more variable role on third downs.
For the Eagles, this is yet another smart bit of business by general manager Howie Roseman, who pursued Huff aggressively last offseason but wasn’t afraid to admit his mistake and move on this year. The restructured contract is an example of Roseman’s creative salary cap management that allowed Philadelphia to avoid paying out the full $34MM of guaranteed money in Huff’s contract.
After letting Josh Sweat walk in free agency, the Eagles will need another edge defender to step up as a starter alongside Nolan Smith. They have multiple options to choose from after re-signing Patrick Johnson and adding Azeez Ojulari and Josh Uche this offseason. 2024 third-rounder Jalyx Hunt could also earn a starting job after flashing his pass-rushing talent during the team’s playoff run last season.