Former Jets gem finds new home in reunion with Robert Saleh

There is a common misconception among New York Jets fans about players who leave the organization.

To some people, any time the organization allows a free agent to walk onto the open market, it’s a terrible move for the team. It’s only a matter of time before that player excels elsewhere without the Jets.

That isn’t always the case, though.

The best example was just traded from the team that originally gave him a lucrative contract last year.

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When Bryce Huff signed a three-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles for over $51 million last offseason, many Jets fans were upset over the team being unable to retain a homegrown talent.

Those worries should be no more. After a single season that saw Huff be a healthy scratch for several games, including the Eagles’ win in Super Bowl LIX, Philadelphia has traded the Memphis product to the San Francisco 49ers, reuniting him with former Jets head coach Robert Saleh.

Huff’s brief chapter in Philly shows just how important schematic fits are for some players. The former UDFA recorded 17.5 sacks in four seasons with the Jets, fitting nicely in the Saleh regime’s wide-nine alignment.

Philadelphia hoped that Huff could replace Haason Reddick, an All-Pro whom the team traded away to New York just a few weeks later. That didn’t end up happening, though. In Vic Fangio’s defense, Huff’s inability to be a good run defender held him back so much that he lost playing time to third-round rookie Jalyx Hunt.

It all worked out for Philadelphia in the end. Their defense was the best in football, even without Huff being an every-down contributor.

The trade that sent Huff to San Fran frees up over $15 million in salary cap space for the 2025 season. That is important to a team like the Eagles, who are expected to dish out several long-term extensions to their young defense in a year.

In the case of the Jets, Huff’s failures in Philadelphia are a good reminder of two key things.

1. Just because a free agent signing is perceived to be good at the time, it doesn’t mean they will end up being good.
2. Not every former Jets player finds success with a new team.

A reunion in New York was always somewhat far-fetched for Huff. They are expected to run a different scheme under head coach Aaron Glenn and defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. The only deal that would have made sense was if Huff could get himself to San Fran with Saleh.

That is precisely what happened. It shows that even the best teams in football can’t simply take parts of the Jets and see those players thrive.