Former Jets defensive end Bryce Huff announces abrupt retirement from the NFL

Former New York Jets defensive end Bryce Huff announced on his Instagram that he is stepping away from football, calling it quits after six years in the NFL.

After four years in New York, Huff would go on to play for the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers in 2024 and 2025, winning Super Bowl LIX with the Eagles.

In the retirement video posted to his Instagram, the 27-year-old says he is starting a company called Neighborstone, where he plans to build safety infrastructure to help reduce fire risk from lithium-ion batteries.

"This mission will save lives and protect critical infrastructure as battery technology continues to scale," he told his social media followers.

Former Jets edge rusher Bryce Huff calls it a career

Huff's story is an incredible one. After four years of college football at Memphis, the Mobile, Alabama native wasn't selected during the 2020 NFL Draft. The Jets signed him as a priority free agent shortly after the draft ended.

Shockingly, Huff made the 53-man roster coming out of training camp and ended up appearing in 14 games of his rookie season. In his retirement video, he made sure to shout out former Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams for giving him an opportunity. He recorded his first career sack against Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 6.

Huff's career really began to take off when Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich arrived in 2021. They saw the potential in the former UDFA as a force off the edge and deployed him as a rotational defensive end, typically coming into the game on third downs and obvious passing situations.

The former Memphis Tigers' playing time gradually began to rise until he officially broke out in 2023, recording 10 sacks and 10 tackles for loss, playing the most defensive snaps of his career.

After playing out his rookie contract and exclusive rights tender, Huff hit the free agent market in 2024 and ended up signing a three-year, $51.1 million contract with the Eagles, the largest deal ever for a non-quarterback undrafted free agent.

Huff never ended up recreating that masterful 2023 season with Philadelphia, and injuries hampered him and his production. Despite that, he's still a Super Bowl champion, and not many players can say that.

In the summer of 2025, the Eagles traded Huff to the 49ers for a conditional 2026 fifth-round draft pick, reuniting him with Saleh in San Francisco.

Back in a more familiar scheme, Huff recorded four sacks for the Niners, receiving ample playing time thanks to injuries to San Francisco's other edges. Little did we know that it would be his final season in the NFL.

Best of luck to Huff in his future endeavors, and congratulations on a successful career.