Eagles fans slam former NY Jets DE Bryce Huff after disappointing debut

The NY Jets' decision to let standout defensive end Bryce Huff walk in free agency this offseason is one of the most controversial moves the team has made during the Joe Douglas era.

Huff departed in free agency to sign a three-year, $51.1 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Jets essentially replaced him with former Eagles pass rusher Haason Reddick, who, at the time of writing, has yet to show up to the team's facility.

The former undrafted free agent developed into one of the best pass rushers in the NFL during his time with the Jets and many were quick to criticize Douglas for letting a young homegrown star walk for nothing in free agency.

But perhaps those critics might feel a little different following Huff's disappointing debut on Friday. Huff played his first game as a member of the Eagles on Friday night against the Green Bay Packers, and his performance left a lot to be desired.

Bryce Huff's Eagles debut was a resounding disappointment

Huff was a non-factor for essentially the entire game, finishing with one tackle and zero total pressures. This comes after he led the NFL in pressure rate in each of the last two seasons.

On top of that, Huff played just 45 percent of snaps which is roughly the same as what he was playing with the Jets for most of the 2023 season, if not even a little less.

Of course, there is important context to this. The conditions of the field in Brazil were abysmal, as players were slipping and sliding on the torn-up grass all night. That made it very difficult for speed rushers like Huff to plant their feet. He wasn't the only edge rusher not to make an impact.

Still, Huff's underwhelming debut didn't go over well with Eagles fans, many of whom are already concerned about his ability to play three downs. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio told reporters in the summer that Huff was still a work in progress as a three-down player.

It doesn't help matters that Huff was also pushed around in the run game for most of the night. Many of the concerns the Jets had with him during his time in Florham Park seemed to pop up on Friday.

Now, this is only just one game, and it's not as if Huff's replacement, Reddick, is going to impress in Week 1 — he's not even playing. But this likely isn't how Huff envisioned his Eagles debut going.

Huff has been the NFL's most efficient pass rusher in each of the last two seasons, and while some of that credit could go to Robert Saleh and the defensive staff, it would be foolish to discount him as simply a product of the system.

He'll have time to make an impact in more favorable conditions in the future. For now, however, Jets fans can take an early victory lap.

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