Bryce Huff continues to prove the NY Jets cut bait at the perfect time

Bryce Huff was supposed to be one of the splash signings of the 2024 offseason. Instead, just over a year later, he's become the face of buyer’s remorse in Philadelphia, and New York Jets fans can’t help but feel vindicated.

After a wildly disappointing first season with the Eagles, Huff was absent from the team’s first OTA practice this week. Voluntary or not, the optics are awful. It’s a sharp contrast from the player who became a fan favorite in Florham Park for his relentless motor and explosive pass-rush ability.

Now, the Jets’ decision to let Huff walk — a decision that was met with plenty of backlash at the time — looks more justified than ever. His rough start in Philly only strengthens the case that the Jets moved on at exactly the right time.

Bryce Huff continues to be a disappointment with the Eagles

The Jets' decision to move on from Huff had much more to do with his fit in the organization moving forward than his production. After all, Huff was one of the most efficient pass rushers in the NFL during his time with the Jets.

Despite finishing with the highest pressure rate in football over a two-year span and outperforming his part-time role, Huff was never truly viewed by the Jets as a three-down edge rusher.

The team valued him as a specialist, a change-of-pace weapon off the edge who could thrive in spurts but might be exposed with a heavier workload. So when the Eagles handed him a massive three-year, $51.1 million contract last offseason, the Jets were content letting him walk.

That decision raised eyebrows at the time, especially considering Huff’s breakout 2023 season in which he totaled 67 pressures (second only to Micah Parsons in pressure rate) while playing a career-high 42% of snaps.

But one year later, the skepticism surrounding Huff’s ability to be a three-down player has only grown louder. In 2024, he finished with just 2.5 sacks and 23 pressures in 12 games, while his snap share actually dropped to 39%.

His Pro Football Focus pass rush grade plummeted from 88.0 in 2022 and 86.8 in 2023 to a pedestrian 69.7 last season, the lowest of his career since becoming a regular contributor.

Suddenly, the narrative has flipped. His no-show at Eagles OTAs didn’t go unnoticed, especially coming off a lackluster debut season with his new team. Fair or not, the optics aren't pretty.

Some Eagles fans are already accusing Huff of phoning it in after cashing in, while others have begun to question whether he was simply a product of Robert Saleh’s system in New York.

Meanwhile, the Jets have turned the page. While Will McDonald still has a lot to prove as a three-down player, he's coming off a breakout 10.5-sack season in 2024. The Jets hope to see him take another leap as a run defender this season after supposedly putting on 15 pounds of weight.

Huff’s early struggles in Philly, combined with his OTA absence, only reinforce that the Jets may have actually made the right decision to cut bait when they did. Time will tell if Huff can bounce back in Philadelphia, but for now, it looks like the Jets got out at exactly the right time.

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